Is anyone aware of any clubs/groups that meet for sprint training regularly in/around Chicago? I'm a former college sprinter (400m), and I'm looking to train for the 200/400 (maybe I'll compete in the 100 for fun now and then as well). I'm looking for a group specifically focused on sprinting, not a run club that does speed work now and then.

If there aren't any in the area then I may try to create one myself, so please leave a comment if you'd be interested.

Any weekday run clubs that start after 7? By the time I get home from work and take my dog out I can’t get to the 630pm ones

Ran, but missed the post race mailout packet and wanted to know what was the race swag included with registration for anyone else who ran it. I bought a grey/blue long sleeve after race so just curious

And tips for cold/dark running?

Hi, Unfortunately my kid hit a growth spurt between registration and getting the packet today. We're in Chicagoland, but are running the race virtual. Anyone know of Reddit, FB, etc. to try and swap the jacket for a bigger size?

Thanks in advance!!

If you're hoping to do the distance series next year, they just posted that there are only 2,000 spots left for the June 13.1 event. Once they post this, it usually sells out within a few days.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DervrQsF20w/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&dlrf=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Looking for the best 5ks for free stuff? Could be at the expo, at the pre-race or post race, or during the race itself? Looking in the city, not the Chicago-land area

First of all, why couldn’t we’ve had this weather last Sunday? Used today as a redemption run of sorts from the Marathon. Gorgeous morning & ideal temps. Wind wasn’t much of an issue.

I’m not the biggest fan of All Community Events races but outside the cluster of the starting line setup, I thought the race was pretty good today. Aid stations were in great spots and adequately staffed. Course was well marked and I think splitting off the 5K almost right away was a smart move. I ran the half and it never seemed too crowded when running with the 10K runners the first 4.5 miles or so. Bringing us into the inner path was good. I just wish the city would repave the paved path alongside the zoo parking lot we were running heading south. That part sucked with the uneven & broken asphalt. Besides that, a fun race. The hot cider at the post race party definitely hit the spot.

Hey all!

The volunteer hats for this years Chicago marathon was great. If anyone is looking to git rid of or sell theirs please let me know. Photo attached to show the example.

I wanted to apply for the 2027 marathon but was a little confused at the timeline on their application website. I can apply for the lottery now but won’t find out until December if I got on. But then the charity pathway application closes in the end of this month? So I also have to apply for the charity pathway now, before I find out if I got in through the lottery? Do I have to actually know which charity I would be running with within the next two weeks?

The website says “Charity program entries are available on a first-come first-served basis until Friday, September 10, 2027” but then it also says “Access to guaranteed entries is only available during the application window (Thursday, October 8 to Thursday, October 29)” so I’m just confused on the timeline of all this

Hey everyone! A few friends and I regularly get together for workouts and long runs on the North Side, and we’d love to have more local runners join us!

We typically do Wednesday morning workouts at Montrose Track or along the lakefront, and rotate locations for our long runs.

We’re just a group of runners who enjoy training together and would love to meet more people in the local running community. This is not a formal run club - most of us are new to Chicago and just want to get a little workout group together.

If you’re interested in joining for a workout or long run, feel free to shoot me a message! We have also made a club page on Strava where we are going to share locations and different workouts that any of us will be running on any given week.

hello. I am looking for recommendations for a sports medicine doctor. I have had three bone stress injuries in my hips the last two years all related to running. I have been to several specialists already, and have not been happy with their care as I've either been injured under their care or told to stop running all together. cheers

Does anyone know if the water fountains on the lakefront are still open / functioning? Planning on running a 22 mile long run on Saturday and want to know if I will need to pit stop somewhere to grab a water or if I can rely on the water fountains. Not sure when they winterize the fountains.

Would love to hear your solutions. So tired of my runs being half a mile off what I truly ran

Hi, all! I’m considering getting involved and volunteering with Achilles International for runners. Does anyone have any firsthand experience they’d be open to sharing? Thanks in advance!

Shamrock Shuffle: FREEZING but ultimately okay
13.1: Brutally HOT 🥵
26.2: HOTTT

But congrats gang we did it 🤪

WGN recently posted an article "1990 Chicago Marathon on WGN was turning point in race’s storied history" (10/5/26) that talked about the 1990 Chicago Marathon, mostly focusing on how their coverage of the marathon was groundbreaking for the time. They also talk a bit about the course and the title sponsor: Old Style (aka G. Heileman). It's worth checking out. I thought it would be interesting to look at the history of the title sponsor of the marathon:

• 1977-1978: Flair Communications This was Lee Flaherty's (a founder of the Chicago Marathon) marketing firm and the de-facto sponsor of the 1977-78 marathons. He was losing money on the marathon and looked for a true title sponsor for the 1979 marathon.
• 1979-1986: Beatrice Foods Beatrice stepped in for the 1979 marathon and were the first true title sponsor of the Chicago marathon. It was under Beatrice that the Chicago Marathon gained international fame and attracted top tier athletes. Finisher medals started in 1984 (previously only certificates were given to finishers). Here's an image of the first finisher medal (from the Chicago Marathon Facebook page):

• 1987 (1/2 marathon): Taster's Choice Coffee Beatrice dropped sponsorship in 1987 and organizers scrambled to put together a replacement race. The race was the Taster's Choice Colombian Select Half Marathon. I didn't see any images of swag or medals online--since it was last minute, maybe there wasn't much.
• 1988-1990: Old Style (aka G. Heileman) Seems the Old Style sponsorship wasn't as stable as the Beatrice Foods and the marathon lost some of the luster in these years. Here are some images of 1988/9 finisher medals. I wish I had the 1988 medal 😄:

• 1991-1992: No Title Sponsor There were a rough few years for the marathon, but Carey Pinkowski took over as race director in 1990 and started righting the ship quickly.
• 1993: Montgomery Ward A 1-year only title sponsor. I didn't see much online about them, but 1993 seems to be heralded as the beginning of the comeback for the marathon. Here is the 1993 finisher medal:

• 1994-2007: LaSalle Bank The Chicago Marathon returned to prominence under LaSalle Bank and became what we know today. LaSalle Bank actually purchased the marathon in 1996 and chip timing came to the race in 1998. Here are some finisher medals from the '90s:

• 2008-present: Bank of America Bank of America acquired LaSalle Bank and took over as title sponsor. That brings us to today. Here's an interesting medal from the Bank of America years:

The WGN feature is pretty interesting...and a nice addition to these posts for those interested in Chicago Marathon history. They also have a video about Old Style marathon sponsorship on their Facebook page.

Cheers! And congrats to the Chicago Marathon finishers this year!!

I think I want to do this 5k next year, but I would rather sign up at a later date. Does this usually sell out pretty quickly or do I have time to decide?