To date I’ve run over 150 races.  Most of them I’ve run in Chicago or nearby but more than half of my half marathons have been in other states.  Recently I ran a half marathon in Alaska.  I don’t have a recap yet but have written a few posts about my trip and you can read about them HERE.

So you bet it was kind of hard to pick and write about my favorite races.  Well, I thought about it hard and here are my 5 favorite races.

Chicago Marathon.  Definitely the best marathon ever!  I am kind of bummed that I am not running it this year but am excited to spectate and cheer for my friends. I’ve run this race 5 times and am always amazed at how well organized it is as well as the support and encouragement I get along the way.  Plus, it is a BEAUTIFUL course!

This is from my first Chicago Marathon in 2006.  Check out the iPod!

4, 2006 Chicago Marathon 2

Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. The race marks the beginning of the running season in Chicago.  I’ve done this race since 2006 and have missed it a few times due to weather and being out of town.  This race starts and ends on the same course as the Chicago Marathon and there are also many spectators along the way.  I remember the first time I ran this race, I was so happy because I had run the whole race and only stopped ONCE to get water.  That was a huge accomplishment back in 2007 when I was still kinda new to running.

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Elmhurst 4 on the 4th.  I love the distance and there aren’t too many 4 mile races. While I enjoy taking the train and running a race in the city, I also like getting in a car and driving to a different race location.  There is plenty of parking, cheap ($25-$30), and good crowd support.  Plus, I like the variety of running on small hills – different from running in flat land in Chicago.

In 2014 and a 39:39 PR.

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Soldier Field 10 Mile.  What’s not to like about running 10 miles?  It’s weird how when running a half marathon, I start feeling like crap past 10 miles.  That won’t happen when running this race.  I love that it starts and ends near Soldier Field. This year the start line was inside the stadium which was kind of cool and much more organized.  It is cheap if you register early (around $55) but then can go up to $90 in April.

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon.  I ran this race in 2014 and it was my last race of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series.  I enjoyed running on the Strip at night and checking out the view.  I ran for fun because when will I ever get the chance to run on the Strip and not have to worry about pedestrians and cars?

The best part of the experience was my VIP status.  I didn’t sign up for it but got it               because I signed up to run 15 RnR races that year.  I ended up running a total of 14             races because last minute I decided to skip Denver.

Would I do this again?  Absolutely!  A few bloggers are heading out there in                         November and I am tempted to go but do not want to pay the ridiculous price for               the race.  I could just go and hang out with them, right?

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I’m linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday 2.0.

fridayfive

27 Comments on Friday Five 2.0-5 Favorite Races

  2. I would love to do the Shamrock Shuffle race if I lived closer!

    RnR Las Vegas made my list today as well 🙂 I can’t wait to run Chicago!

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  4. Vegas was my first. I did consider it, too, but I really didn’t want to pay that much for a race I’ve already run and the timing just isn’t good either.

    I really can’t wait to hear about the cruise, as it’s something I’ve seriously considered!

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  5. 150 races!!!! You go girl!!!! 🙂 I would like to run Chicago sometime, if I ever run a marathon again. 🙂 I have never heard anything bad about it! (Well, except that one year.)

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    • Thanks. Yeah, 2007 is THAT year it was cancelled. I made it to about mile 15 or 16 and then had to go back downtown.

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  6. RnR Vegas will be my first RnR race, for the 10k. The VIP section isn’t near the 10k, but I’m fine with that. I’ll be staying with a friend, so I don’t need close parking, or anything like that.

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  7. Wow… 150 – that’s a lot of racing! I’m excited to run Chicago this year! I’ve heard really good things about it.

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    • Exactly! There aren’t that many. I guess that is what makes them a bit more appealing.

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  9. I’m going to have major FOMO for RnR Vegas this year, I’m sure. It’s been on my list for ages but I just can’t seem to make it happen for some reason!

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  10. I’m so impressed you were able to pick 5 favorites out of over 150!! I ran RnR Vegas in 2014 as well! I ran the full marathon. It was so chilly that year, but a fun experience. I’d definitely run it again, but maybe just the half.

    I’ve only heard great things about Chicago. My uncle, in his 70s now, has run it many times and many other marathons as well. He raved about it during a recent visit. Perhaps I need to put Chicago on a bucket list. 🙂

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    • It wasn’t easy and most of them were local races. Yeah, I remember RnR Vegas being chilly as well and having to walk after the race.

      Yes, you should add Chicago to your list. You won’t be disappointed!

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    • That makes sense. I also refuse to travel to another state if the race is shorter than a half marathon.

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  13. I’d love to run Chicago one day, it sounds like an amazing race! And I see you’re on a running cruise in Alaska, I’m going to go check out those posts. That’s definitely a bucket list item for me.

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    • The Chicago Marathon is great! I hope you enjoy reading my posts about the cruise. 😀

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