In what has become a yearly get-together, I spent the weekend with several out-of-towners who came in for the Chicago Marathon. A few of them were running, while the rest of us were there to cheer for them and enjoy the day.
ID 29114109 © Max Herman | Dreamstime.com
Since I live here and work for Global Traveler, they usually ask me for hotel advice. This year, I had friends staying at five different hotels. One group stayed at the Hotel Allegro because they love the boutique hotel and its unique décor. One friend stayed at the JW Marriott because she wanted a quality hotel, slightly away from the main action. One group stayed at the InterContinental because they wanted to stay on the Magnificent Mile. Two groups stayed at the Fairmont and the Radisson Blu Aqua because they wanted to be close to the “Start” area.
It was about 40 degrees at race time, but it quickly warmed up to the 50s. This is pretty good running weather, much better than the single-digit temps I endured several times.
I am happy to report all of my friends finished within six hours. Some beat my usual times, while some lagged behind, allowing me to keep my bragging rights for at least one more year.
Pizza seemed to be the food of choice after the marathon. That brought us to Lou Malnati’s, one of Chicago’s finest pizza places. Several garlic bread baskets, pizzas and pitchers of Coke and beer were downed as we discussed the marathon and got caught up with each other.
The marathon has evolved from a day of almost solitude to quite a social event. Back in my early running days, it was more of the lone warrior gutting it out. Now, the entire course is a virtual social gathering. Even we semi-retired marathoners can join in the fun.
— John Wroblewski, online contributor
**Join Global Traveler’s fight against blood cancers and donate to our Light the Night corporate team. Select GT staff will walk two miles Oct. 13 to raise awareness for survivors and those who have succumbed to the disease. Donate at http://pages.lightthenight.org/epa/BucksCo12/globaltravelermagazine **
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