Next Year, Watch the Chicago Marathon from the South Side

By JoshMogerman in News on Oct 13, 2013 8:00PM

If you were not trying to drive through a vast swath of Chicago today, it was a great morning for a marathon. And even better if you happened to be taking in the sights on the South Side…

We caught the elite runners battling it out near mile marker 24 this morning and decided everyone should consider heading far south of Madison for the race next year—here’s why:

• If you are not running, do you really need to be out downtown at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday? The guys jockeying to win the race crossed the 24 mile mark at 9:15 this morning—that means you’ve got plenty of time for breakfast, coffee and maybe even lunch before your co-workers shamble past…
• Just because the runners are in a scrum does not mean you should be. The crowds are lighter and the race viewing is much easier.
• Speaking of those folks you are out screaming for… Do they need your moral support at mile 9? Heck no. The adrenaline has them high as a kite through much of the north side portion of the course. It’s the tough miles at the end where chaffed thighs, bleeding nipples and sheer exhaustion has them in need of a boost.

Chuck has a solid writeup on the race itself. And we are already getting great pics in the Chicagoist Flickr pool. Keep ‘em coming. Let us know where you watched the race from today, because next year, you'll join us South of Madison.