Bank Of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k

«Folks, this is the biggest 8K race in the world! 40,000 in total!» I heard the race announcer say that over and over for about 40 minutes before the race started while jammed into a fenced-​in corral.
Still, I had some good times at my second Shuffle.
Favorite memories:
1. Guy dressed up like Will Ferrell from the cowbell Saturday Night Live skit (complete with a belly shirt and motivating cowbell beat) cheering on runners on Desplaines. (
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2. First beautiful day of spring means one hot sunny day running through downtown Chicago, but loved passing under a couple cool tunnels with a refreshing breeze to re-​energize!
3. Running on Chicago city bridges and past the Chicago Theater. Gotta love seeing the sites and getting some cardio in at the same time!
4. Finishing a minute earlier than last year!

This race is known as the unofficial start of the Chicago racing season, and I’ve been a part of it for the last 8 years. It’s the best motivator to get off the couch and start your training as the cold, winter months come to an end. It’s getting a little expensive, but you’ll forget all about that when you’re searching for your time online later that day.
You never know what to expect the weather to be like on race day. But this is CHICAGO… you never know what to expect the weather to be like on ANY day. I’ve run on 60 degree days, when it’s below freezing, and just about anything else in between. One thing’s for sure, you’ll always be complaining about it as you wait for the race to begin, but it seems to always be a part of the stories you’ll be telling once the race is over, too.
A great course, starting from the lakefront on Columbus, taking you through downtown, over the river (four times?) and bringing you right back to Columbus for the finish… but not until you’ve endured «Heartbreak Hill» on the Roosevelt Bridge leading up to it. I guarantee you’ll be cursing the designer of the route at this point, along with their whole family, too.
In short, a MUST run.