2009 Chicago Marathon – a spectator’s perspective [14]Comments on:

By: Holly

Holly — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:21:44 +0000

You are so sweet to make signs for your friends! My first marathon was here in Indy, and my parents and sister came out to cheer me on and made signs. It meant the WORLD to look over and see them cheering! (um…it was only a couple thousand runners, so I was easy to spot).

The Pope costume is hilarious! I can’t imagine running 26.2 with that hat. (Or whatever it is called?)
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By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:53:04 +0000

It’s pretty awe-inspiring, isn’t it? When I watched last year I cried. This year, I teared up a little bit but then realized I was slowly freezing to death. It took me awhile to get into the spirit and cheer.

I missed the guy in the Pope outfit! And I also didn’t see any of the people I know who were running even though I was essentially standing in the same place for the entire race. Craziness!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Chicago Marathon Volunteer Report =-.

By: lifestudent

lifestudent — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:52:40 +0000

Came to you through Jamie’s blog …
We werent too far apart at the race I tried to get pics of that big worm and the pope & nun, but my hands were so frozen I couldnt get my gloves off and missed em. Good shots!

Another con I learned about the crowded race as a volunteer was the water/Gatorade stations. People wanted to walk through the stations, or even stop. Maybe to tie a shoe, maybe just because (like me) they cant drink and run. Well, the race is so crowded at points that the “fast” people are weaving trying to get through and they come tearing down by the water/gatorade because its a bit thinner. They literally run over the people walking through the aid station, or smack their beverage out of their hand (or the hand of the volunteer holding it out to them, assuming that they must want something to drink since they are running right for you!).

Nuts!
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By: Bethany

Bethany — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:48:36 +0000

That’s so cool! One of my coworkers is running a half marathon on Sunday so I’ll be there cheering her on. Maybe I should have the kids at school make posters for her, that would be cute!!
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By: tori

tori — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:15:12 +0000

You are so sweet to make signs for your friends! My kids sometimes do that for me and as silly as it sounds, it is just so awesome and makes me so happy.

I have no idea how to train for a marathon, but if you decide to do it for next year, maybe I will too? That would be fun!
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By: Mica

Mica — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:09:29 +0000

Awww, I’m so honored that you made me a sign! Sadly, I didn’t see you. If the fates align that you spectate and I race again, we’ll have to coordinate so I can look for you on a specific side of the road. (This worked with my parents.)

Sadly, I was not wearing two braids. I had my usual sweaty ponytail, looking hot, hahaha.

Thanks so much for coming out to support me, your friends, and everyone else! The spectators really, really helped!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Oh, right. This weekend is a big deal. =-.

By: lynne

*lynne* — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:25:27 +0000

Last year Kosh and I went a-walking in our neighbourhood while the Marathon was going on — what struck me was the loads of trash generated at the water and food points! Oh yes, and how crowded it was. … wasn’t it nice and warm last year? This past weekend was horrible here in Springfield: the car was frozen on Saturday morning!
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By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:12:56 +0000

I’ll do my Chicago Marathon spectating post tomorrow.

I arrived at 13, went to 17 and walked to Roosevelt and then to 26. I wasn’t sure about getting on the Orange line to hit up anything after 17. I did end up seeing 2 people I knew running though! Last year, I saw one person I knew, but wasn’t really in there to cheer for them.

I won’t run it. Ever. Mainly cause I want my family there and they won’t come up for it I’m sure and it was chaos in the morning at the start. And I’d be scared of tripping over someone heels. And this is a race to run WITH someone, it’s just that cool of a race. It’s one of the top 5 World Marathon Majors after all!!

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:07:33 +0000

The big marathons are fun! People do much more crazy stuff (as you can tell just by comparing Wisconsin to Chicago). I was able to see my family when I ran Chicago by knowing kind of where they would be (mile markers), my dad wearing a yellow shirt (note: orange is not going to stand out because of all the Illini/Bears fans!), and my fans had a sign with a picture of Testudo (Maryland’s mascot) on it, which was the only one like it. Definitely doable, and all the hype and spectators makes the big marathons more exciting and distracting if you need some help through the tough miles. I’ll be back to run Chicago sometime!
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By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:17:51 +0000

I am so mad I missed you! No one has made me a sign before! That was so cool! Very cool you came to the city to cheer us all on.

This race is ridiculously crowded and I wished I had someone to jump in with me, especially the later miles. There is no other race like it (well maybe NY but I can’t compare). I highly recommend running it at least once. And if I am still here and running I will definitely jump in with you.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Chicago Marathon Short Story =-.