Get Up to Half Off the Chicago Half Marathon
It’s never too early to start planning your New Year’s Resolutions for 2011. And, if running a half marathon (13.1 miles) is a goal, here’s good news: Now through September 21, be one of the first to register for the Chicago Half Marathon and receive up to 50 % off the registration fee. 
Deals for the Chicago Half Marathon include:
- The first 200 registrants get 50% off.
- The second 200 get 40% off.
- And everyone else gets 30% off.
About the Chicago Half Marathon
This year’s Chicago Half Marathon attracted 18,500 runners who ran along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago’s south side. Typically, weather for the race is sunny, with temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees.
The course goes through some of Chicago’s historic southside neighborhoods, including Jackson Park. A highlight of the route is running along Lake Shore Drive northbound with a view of Chicago’s skyline. The course also has live entertainment from about 15 bands.
The large draw for runners had a lot to do with the fact that the race is considered to be one of the country’s fastest “half’s” with its flat, speedy course.
That’s what attracted this year’s male and female winners to the race: Nathan Krah of Boston who finished in 1:07:11 and Andrea Pomaranski of Farmington Hills, Michigan who had a race time of 1:13:15. Both chose the Chicago Half Marathon for its speed and also used the race to train for the upcoming full Chicago Marathon on October 10.
“I loved the course,” said Pomaranski. “It was flat but had nice bumps to keep it interesting.”
For Krah running up Lake Shore Drive with a view of the Chicago skyline was memorable as was the crowd support. “The last two to three miles, the support was great.”
One runner, Chris McAuliffe, who runs the race each year and considers it one of his favorites, agreed with Krah. “The race has a lot of great fans and is very well organized, which is something I consider before choosing a race.”
The only glitch to the Chicago Half Marathon for some was getting there.
McAuliffe was smart and went down Ashland to 63rd Street. (The race begins near 63rd Street and Lake Shore Drive) but others chose to drive down Lake Shore Drive, which, because of all the traffic, quickly became congested. A better bet would be to take Ashland like McAuliffe did or take the Metra Train to 63rd. The exit is less than a half mile to the start line.
For more information on the 2011 Chicago Half Marathon, check out the Chicago Half Marathon Web site.
Photo credit: SXC
