The last time I ran Chicago or any full marathon was in 2005! Two kids ( 3 year old and an almost 1 year old) and about 10 half marathons later, I am coming out of full marathon retirement.
I just signed up for the lottery. Who else is trying for it or has guarantee entry?
I think Wines Not Whines is trying through the lottery. I briefly considered it since I'd have guaranteed entry, but I think DH might kill me. jordylee, are you running it? Weren't you going to enter and either run, or waddle for two? LOL
A group of us ran it in 2013, but it looks like all of our girls are headed to MCM this year. I'd love to get back to Chicago again. I'll probably return once DH has guaranteed entry. He needs to knock 6 minutes off of his time, but I'm hoping he'll BQ this fall, so we'd be good for future races!
Have fun! Chicago is a great race to make your marathon comeback!
Post by Wines Not Whines on Mar 26, 2015 11:49:03 GMT -5
Good luck!
I entered the lottery for Chicago, but I also entered the MCM lottery and got in, so I will probably run MCM, mostly because of the cost. Other than the registration fee, running MCM will cost me approximately $6 (in Metro fare). Running Chicago would cost me a couple thousand (air fare, hotels, etc.). The cost is deterring me right now. However, I also convinced my uncle to put in for the Chicago lottery, so if he gets in and decides to run it, I probably have to run it, too. That would be... interesting... because I would also still want to run MCM.
Post by chitownbelle on Mar 26, 2015 13:01:21 GMT -5
I signed up for the lottery. I've run it 3 times already so I'm not going to be crushed if I don't get in. What did crush my spirit is missing guaranteed entry by 1:52. They didn't announce 3:45:00 cut off until after the race ;-) Good luck!! 3-4 weeks till we find out, boo.
I signed up for the lottery. I've run it 3 times already so I'm not going to be crushed if I don't get in. What did crush my spirit is missing guaranteed entry by 1:52. They didn't announce 3:45:00 cut off until after the race ;-) Good luck!! 3-4 weeks till we find out, boo.
I almost paged you to ask if you had a marathon comeback planned. Woohoo!! Good luck!
Post by chitownbelle on Mar 26, 2015 13:13:34 GMT -5
wont be much of a comeback. running an 8k on sunday. my only goal is to not walk, bahaha. secretly I want under 9min/mi....sad when my last short race times were under 8min/mi. and everytime I try to catch up on posts, baby starts crying....like now...haha.
I signed up for the lottery. Will probably do charity if that doesn't work out. I have a bunch of friends running this year (one for the first time), so I really want to do it. I'm already way too excited about it.
I'm coming back from a bit of an injury so hoping training goes well. I'm slower than dirt regardless. Don't really care - I had a blast last time so excited to do it again. Hoping I'm a little faster.
I am not but it's on my running bucket list. My brother lives right downtown so you can't beat free lodging. This year marks my 10 year marathon-versary as well, so I wanted to say congrats on making the comeback!! I am not ready for that yet but I'm doing a few halves this year and am eyeing the marathon (and...gulp..possibly an ultra) in 2016.
Post by keweenawlove on Apr 29, 2015 9:54:51 GMT -5
I was really close to signing up with a guaranteed entry. I really want to go for a BQ this fall though and after hearing about issues with crowding and having the same problems at the NYCM, I decided to sign up for Milwaukee which will end up being a lot less logistics to sort out.
clseale is wise. I hope to run Chicago again one day, and Marine Corps has some pretty big shoes to fill.
Congrats to all that made it in.
Maybe it was because I ran them so close together, but MCM was nowhere near as awesome as the Chicago Experience. Chicago spoiled me rotten.
I'm sure Chicago is amazing, but I'm having a hard time justifying paying a couple thousand dollars for Chicago vs like $6 for MCM. I don't know anyone in Chicago who I could stay with, and DH and my son would want to come, too, so that's 3 plane tickets and a hotel for at least 2 nights, probably 3 because I'd want to arrive by Friday. And it's not like I'd be visiting friends or family in the area to help justify it. I think I'd feel better about it if I was going with a group or had people I was visiting at the same time.
I also think I'm running MCM no matter what this year, so I'd end up doing Chicago and MCM 2 weeks apart from each other. I'm guessing you would advise against that, but maybe not?
Wines Not Whines, can you defer? I get the money & wanting to go with a group. We went with 3 other runners & shared an awesome penthouse. All 5 of us were running, so it was a big running trip extravaganza. LOL These big trips would be more of a stretch, if I was the only one running them.
Did they release the lottery numbers? I'm hearing about a lot more rejections this year than last year.
Maybe they had more in with guaranteed entry? I'd be curious to see the numbers. Everyone I know through running groups got in. Like, 20+ people.
The issue I have with Chicago's lottery system is they haven't worked out the kinks yet. Take 2 people in this post alone who got into the race but can't run it for whatever reasons. Totally acceptable and reasonable, but taking an entry spot from someone who would have loved to run it (but that's me jumping ahead without knowing for sure if you can defer). At least with NYC, they take your credit card info and charge you once you have been accepted via lottery (and then I think you may have the option of deferring, I don't remember). 3:45 for women is not a super fast time, so I am sure a lot of people got in with guaranteed entry, and I wonder how they are going to limit the race field in the future or how soon they will have to drop the guaranteed entry time. What do they do if a huge percentage of lottery winners decide not to register to run? Just have more charity spots available?
Maybe they had more in with guaranteed entry? I'd be curious to see the numbers. Everyone I know through running groups got in. Like, 20+ people.
The issue I have with Chicago's lottery system is they haven't worked out the kinks yet. Take 2 people in this post alone who got into the race but can't run it for whatever reasons. Totally acceptable and reasonable, but taking an entry spot from someone who would have loved to run it (but that's me jumping ahead without knowing for sure if you can defer). At least with NYC, they take your credit card info and charge you once you have been accepted via lottery (and then I think you may have the option of deferring, I don't remember). 3:45 for women is not a super fast time, so I am sure a lot of people got in with guaranteed entry, and I wonder how they are going to limit the race field in the future or how soon they will have to drop the guaranteed entry time. What do they do if a huge percentage of lottery winners decide not to register to run? Just have more charity spots available?
The bolded is actually where I see one of the biggest issues. If you are 40+ Chicago is just as hard (if not harder) than Boston! I have a woman I know who is currently trying for a 4:10 for Boston. She has no hope of ever (her words, not mine) qualifying for Chicago. I actually don't think there are that many people getting in through qualifying. When I ran 3:39 there, I was surprisingly high in my placing.
If you enter the lottery, do they not immediately charge your card? That would be HUGE in ensuring that only those who are 99% committed will apply. I think it sucks when races don't allow bib transfers. Believe me, it was a big sore spot for me w/Boston, knowing that roughly 70 people stood between me and a spot, and knowing that way more than that wouldn't show up. I think races count on that though...sort of how airlines overbook flights. They account for people not following through, when making their numbers.
Maybe they had more in with guaranteed entry? I'd be curious to see the numbers. Everyone I know through running groups got in. Like, 20+ people.
The issue I have with Chicago's lottery system is they haven't worked out the kinks yet. Take 2 people in this post alone who got into the race but can't run it for whatever reasons. Totally acceptable and reasonable, but taking an entry spot from someone who would have loved to run it (but that's me jumping ahead without knowing for sure if you can defer). At least with NYC, they take your credit card info and charge you once you have been accepted via lottery (and then I think you may have the option of deferring, I don't remember). 3:45 for women is not a super fast time, so I am sure a lot of people got in with guaranteed entry, and I wonder how they are going to limit the race field in the future or how soon they will have to drop the guaranteed entry time. What do they do if a huge percentage of lottery winners decide not to register to run? Just have more charity spots available?
I don't get not charging you money if you get in the lottery. That's just dumb. MCM has a pretty good system. You get charged and they allow for bib transfers (for a fee). No qualifying times since it's the people's marathon. So if you want to run it, you definitely can it just requires a little more effort if you don't get in through the lottery.
Did they release the lottery numbers? I'm hearing about a lot more rejections this year than last year.
This is from Runner's World:
64 percent of the field was accepted through the lottery. In other words, of the 54,800 runners who entered the lottery, about 53 percent got in. Those are much better odds compared to the 2014 New York City Marathon, where only 18 percent of lottery applicants were accepted.
36 percent of the field earned a guaranteed spot.
From those runners who entered with a guaranteed application:
41.7 percent will run through a charity.
23.6 percent are time qualifiers.
17.4 percent are Chicago Marathon Legacy Finishers who ran the race five or more times in the past 10 years.
11.3 percent deferred their entry from previous years.
1.2 percent will particpate through a tour group.
4.8 percent entered through other means.
Thanks for posting this! That's along the lines of what I was thinking. I would have been surprised if the time qualifiers were much higher than that.