Tips for Running the Chicago Marathon

go into the race hyper hydrated

We all know how important it is to reach for sports drink mid race but it’s just as important to go into the race hyper hydrated. That means that both the day before and the morning of the Chicago Marathon, you’re reaching for bone broth or sports drink to ensure that you’re well hydrated when the gun goes off. Practice your pre-race hydration the day before and the morning of your long runs!

Stay off your feet the day before the marathon

You know this. I know this. And I also know that you need the reminder. (I once walked the entire length of Manhattan before the NYC marathon because I was nervous.) If you do a shakeout run, run and then get back in bed. Go watch movies. Do nothing. Stay off your feet the day before the race.

get to bed early

You may not get a ton of sleep the day before the marathon. That’s ok. Just get in bed early and rest those eyes. The week of the marathon, try to prioritize sleep and rest. Take naps if you can. Get your rest just in case you don’t sleep well the night before the Chicago marathon.

Wear Your Layers To The Starting Line

LAYER UP GANG. Pre-race, you want to make sure that you wear your layers to the starting line EVEN if you think it’s comfortable out. Your body uses energy to maintain its core temperature which means that if you aren’t wearing layers, you’ll waste energy trying to maintain your body’s optimal body temperature. Think about swimmers and divers. Pre-race, they’re in a jacuzzi or wearing giant parkas. Why? THERMOREGULATION. We want to keep your core temperature where it needs to be so that you don’t waste ANY energy shivering to warm up.

So grab some sweaters, hoodies, beanies, or coats or head to a local thrift store to grab some throw away clothes. (Throw away clothes are clothes you’ll leave behind at the starting line so don’t spend much money on your throw away clothing.) Even blankets or space blankets will do!

The Chicago Marathon (and most races) donate the throwaway clothes left at the starting line so you can ditch your clothing knowing it’s going to a good cause.

give yourself time to go to the bathroom 1-2 time pre-race

One of the best parts about the Chicago Marathon is how easy it is to get to. No long ferry ride, bus ride, or train ride. Once you get to Grant Park, you’re through security within 10-20 minutes.

While security lines may be a breeze, the bathroom lines are LONG. So give yourself PLENTY of time to go to the restroom before you head into your corral. Plan to get to the starting line at least an hour before your corral closes. (There are no bathrooms in the starting corrals and once the the starting corrals close. THEY CLOSE.) *If you like to go potty 2-3 times before the race starts, shoot to get there 90+ minutes before your corral closes.

watch the carpets

Carpets? During a road race? WHAT? Yeah, you read that right. Throughout the course, the marathon puts these carpets over some of the grates on their bridges. Not only have I eaten sh*t on a carpet (the only time I have ever fallen during a race), but I’ve seen dozens of runners do the same. PICK UP YOUR FEET and watch out for those damn carpets.

Put your name on your shirt

The one true performance enhancing drug is having complete strangers look you in the eyes while they cheer for you, by name, at the top of their lungs. Put your name on your shirt or sports bra. EVEN if you’re having the shittiest race possible, it still feels good to have people tell you you’re amazing.

START SLOW

There is no such thing as banking time in a marathon. START SLOW. RUN PAINFULLY SLOW when the gun goes off. Make it a point that you’ll hold yourself back when you start come race day.

START SLOW. Finish strong.

pack the best checked back

Just check a bag. With Chicago, it’s so easy and you’ll be so happy to have warm clothes and treasure when you finish.

Here’s what to put in it- 2 extra masks, a sweater, a beanie, a hand towel to wipe your nasty self off, tums, pepto bismol, cash, and some comfortable shoes (like slides) in your bag.

Manually Lap Your Watch

Chicago is NOTORIOUS for screwing with GPS watches so plan to manually lap your watch if you’re chasing an outcome goal or want to run specific paces. If your watch is set to automatic lap, you’ll need to go in and set it to manual. That means that every time you hit a mile marker, you’ll hit the lap button to see your split.

get familiar with the course and run the tangents

In any marathon, you’re going to run further than 26.2 miles. WHY? Because roads are wide and we rarely run the tangent. The race paints a line on the road indicating the tangent but sometimes it isn’t always possible to stay on it. The best way to ensure you run as close to 26.2 as possible is to get to know the course and try to stay on the tangent. So get familiar with the course and try your best to huge the corners. (While you’re looking at the course, note where bathrooms, aid stations, and hydration stations are.)

Know where your friends, family, and cheer squad will be

When coordinating with your cheer squad, know EXACTLY where and which side of the street they’ll be ESPECIALLY if they have hydration/fueling you need to grab from them. Remember, there’s A LOT going on on race day and it’s a lot harder for them to find you than it is for you to find them. Make sure that you all know what you’re wearing and if they have any signs you can look for to help you find them.

how to wear airpods AND not have them die

Running with Airpods? Worried they won’t stay charged? When I ran Chicago in 2019, I had both Airpods on me. One in my ear, and one in my back pocket ready to swap out when the one in my ear dies. BUT, I didn’t have the spare Airpod in the case so with 5K to go, when my Airpod died, I reached in my back pocket to swap it out. It was then that I realized they both were dead. SO, learn from my mistake!

Whenever you run a big race like Chicago, I always advise my athletes to run with one ear bud in because the cheers from the spectators are energizing as hell! (AND because safety- You should always be aware of the runners around you.)

Bring your fully charged Airpod case and both Airpods with you during the race but wear one of them at a time. Then, when one Airpod dies, put it back in the case and grab a charged Airpod from the case. Then, should that one die, swap it back out for the charged Airpod you started the race with. YOU ARE WELCOME.

Enjoy the crowds but save your energy

The first half of the Chicago Marathon is loud, energetic, and FUN! Enjoy the energy, take it in, but don’t give too much away. My old Coach Rebekah Stowe told me to pretend I’m an energy dementor. Suck all the energy in.

Be an energy dementor. You’ll need that energy after mile 18.

Know what you’re moving towards.

Visualization is going to be key in the second half of the race. When everything hurts and you want to crawl into a ball and get run over by a car, REMEMBER what you’re moving towards. SEE IT. Visualize it. RUN TOWARDS IT.

it is going to hurt like hell. so smile.

Marathoners always forget just how badly running a marathon hurts.

You are going to be in another world of pain.

Prep for it. Then, when it happens, try to smile. Smiling changes our brain chemistry and makes you feel good. You probably won’t even notice because you’re gonna be hurting so much but do it anyways.

SMILE.

The final 5k is a straight shot. chunk it.

When the finish line is in site, it’s still very, very far away. That final 5K stretch is long! My advice, reach for every tool in your tool belt but start with chunking. Whether it’s 400m or 800m chunks or taking it one song at a time, get ready to chunk the hell out of that final 5K.

And smile because you’re going to be really, really hurting.

There is one hill. And it is right before your final dash to the finish.

At the end of that long 5K death march, you will turn right and head up a “tiny” hill.

This “tiny” hill will feel like Mount Everest.

This hill will make you want to question all of your life choices.

This hill sucks.

I hate this hill.

You will hate this hill.

When you get to this evil hill, PUMP YOUR ARMS like you’ve never pumped them before. Huff and puff “fuck this hill” if it will help.

Just get your ass up the hill and get ready to SPRINT YOUR ASS TO THE FINISH.

Find three ways to win the day and make one of them sprinting to the finish.

Before the last time I ran the Chicago Marathon, my coach Rebekah Stowe asked me to define 3 ways to win the day for myself.

One in the beginning, one in the middle, and one at the end.

I love this advice because it asked me to focus on the process. Now, I encourage all of my athletes to do the same.

One of my favorite ways to win the day is to finish strong regardless of how I’m feeling or the day I’m having. Maybe that’s a sprint. Maybe that’s a feeling. But regardless of what happens out there, make it a goal to finish giving it everything you have.

there is beer at the finish line.

Remember when we talked about something to move towards? If you like beer, there is literally tables full of beer waiting for you at the finish line. I remember how excited I was when I first ran Chicago. I took two! I couldn’t drink either of them because I just couldn’t stomach the beer. It was so upsetting. BUT I TRIED! And the next time I ran Chicago, I just kept visualizing that table full of beer and how delicious it would taste when I finished. (THEN, predictably, I couldn’t stomach it again. LOL.)

you can’t sit down.

Once you cross that finish line, you will want to sit down. They won’t let you sit down unless you need to go to the med tent. So get ready to slowly shuffle back to Grant Park.

This may be the hardest part of the marathon. You have this. One foot in front of the other. And hey! At least you aren’t being timed anymore!

eat.

Immediately after you finish, drink everything in your finishers bag if you can. Eat the pretzels.

And the second you can get a real meal, EAT FOOD. Eat real food. It will help your body recover from that marathon.

make reservations for dinner.

Chicago is POPPING at dinner time with all the marathoners ready to eat their body weight in food. Plan ahead. Make reservations.

foam roll and if you can, get in some air pants.

There are plenty of events nowadays you can attend to jumpstart your recovery. If you can find some air pants (also known as compression sleeves), use them. Try to foam roll and try to get a walk in that night.

take time off.

As a coach, I make all my athletes take at least one complete week off of running. If you can, take two complete weeks off from running. (I know that is asking a lot because you’re all a bunch of kooks who can’t not run.)

There’s no hard set rule for how long you need to wait. Try to listen to your body. But at least one week.