I went to the Chicago Marathon today. Luckily, it went through an area which wasn’t far from where I live. The race started at 8AM. It looped west through the UIC campus (mile 18) and went back east on 18th street. It was about 9:15 before I saw the wheel chair contestants. Then, I saw the leaders. There were about 14 Africans who kept in a tight pack, and they were too quick for my camera. The racers were then spread out, but it took about 15 minutes before I noticed a large group of people.

I brought some black tea to warm me up, and I wore my Chicago Marathon jacket. This year they gave out these solid lime green jackets to people who were working the marathon. I picked a good spot in a semi-popular area. I was close to a water station, and a nearby Starbucks was playing the “Rocky” theme over and over again. There was also a guy next to me who had a large Polish flag. Runners would go by and they yelled, “Hey, Mushka”… or something. I saw a few costumes that ranged from Kermit, Fat Bastard, and chicken man (half man…half chicken.) It was pretty moving to see all of these people in great condition. It almost makes me want to start running again. Later, I went back to 18th st. I saw one woman who had collapsed, and an ambulence came to pick her up. Actually, there were a few ambulences going by. It took about an hour and a half until the all the stragglers came in. They didn’t look like the typical runners and they had a lot of pain on their faces as they grudged along. Then, I decided to head back.