All Community Events Chi Town Spring Half Marathon & 10k Run

It’s pre-dawn and 46 balmy degrees in the Chi @ 6:30am. Runners, spectators and their canine buddies arrive one by one to participate & cheer at this annual event.

It’s the All Community Events Chi-town Spring Half Marathon & 10k Run and runners are fired up!!
Growing up in this town, the amazing sunrise over the City’s magnificent lakefront never ceases to amaze.

As we exit our vehicles to greet fellow runners & the loyal, phenomenal pacers, there’s the enthusiastic voice of a new race announcer who is just as excited as everyone else.

At 7am, the crowd gathers to their assigned corrals & we make sure our gps watches are set & our shoe laces are tied. And finally the announcer counts down the clock. And we’re off!

Runners from all over the Chicagoland area take off from Montrose Harbor, head north to the end of the mostly flat, sometimes hilly, sometimes muddy cement trail and loop around thru the gorgeous lakefront, heading back south.

Pretty soon, 45 degrees feels like 65 then 70 degrees as the adrenaline flows faster and faster. As the 10k and half marathon runners cross the coveted finish line, approximately 1-4 hours later, there’s foot-stomping throwback music and fragrant Portillos hot dogs, garden dogs & beef sandwiches are wafting through the air.

And of course there are vivid backdrops to take even more selfies with well-earned medals on our necks to brag about & show everyone.

It’s a beautiful spring day to be exhilarated that the race season in Chicago is underway!

* Race recap done by Alice Henry, avid runner and Ambassador for All Community Events