It would be almost criminal to find out there was a 10K race blocks from my Chicago hotel and not sign up to run it. You agree, don’t you!? I was in Chicago this past weekend visiting my daughter and decided to sign up to run the Under Armour 10K race at Soldier Field.
Under Armour 10K Race
Hopping into a local race is one of the best ways to get ensure that your long run gets done. Seeing a city in running shoes is the best way to sightsee. Having done 2 Chicago races in the past (Hot Chocolate 15K and Rock n Roll 10K), I knew it was one of my favorite cities to run in.
Packet Pick up
Packet pick up was super easy and very low key. Saturday morning at the flagship Under Armour store on Michigan Avenue was the spot. I waited less than 5 minutes and was given my packet and this Under Armour tech shirt. While I am not usually excited about race shirts, I do appreciate the gender-specific sizing. I was hoping to find some “run Chicago” themed shirts but no such luck.
Race start
The race started at 8 am at Soldier Field which is an easy Uber ride from downtown Chicago hotels. Soldier Field is the oldest NFL football stadium in the country and home to the Chicago Bears games.
I was a little nervous about the storms the night before. We received an email from the race company that they would decide what to do if there was lightning yikes! Of course, I did not sleep well worrying. When I awoke at 5:45, the storms were clearing and the race was a go.90% humidity though-ugh.
I grabbed an Uber to the start for an easy drop-off. I had plenty of time to check a bag with dry clothes and use the porta potty a few times. Yes, I am that person!
My running partner
I had convinced Cynthia to run with me and go twinsies! We easily found each other at bag drop. We immediately had so much to chat about. I love it when that happens.
The corrals were self seeding and we placed ourselves in the 9-10 minute mile area. Both of us had decided this would be an easy run for us. No pressure at all and just a chance to run together and chat.
The course
The 6.2-mile (10K) course was flat, out and back along the Chicago Lakefront Trail. There were a few spots with some standing water but other than that, a pretty easy course. That skyline never gets old. There were 3 water/Gatorade stops along the course. On such a warm and humid day, they were greatly appreciated.
The 6.2 miles felt hard to me. Partly because I was tired from a busy weekend and partly because of the intense humidity. These two factors kept me at my easy pace right where I needed to be.
The finish finally approached and we were rewarded with these great medals. Will run for bling!
Overall
This was a really fun, low key local Chicago race. I would say about 2500 people running. There were the usual speedy peeps and also a number of run/walkers. It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning in Chicago. I would definitely run The Chicago Under Armour 10K again if I were in town. Hopefully, next time it won’t be so humid!
It seems like it was humid everywhere this past weekend! That kind of weather makes it so tough for racing. Good plan to run it easy. Sounds like a fun race and it worked out well that you could jump in there while you were traveling! Congrats!
I am all about easy paces when it is so hot and it was just for fun so no pressure
Well, I’m all about meeting up with runner friends when in Chicago 😉 Glad you had a great time running with Cynthia! This event sounds fun, and that’s a decent turnout…wish I could have joined you!
We missed you this time!
Definitely a fun way to see the city and even better with a runner friend! Glad there was no lightning. 🙂
Yes, we were too!
Yes, you couldn’t be in Chicago and not run this race! Sounds really fun although that humidity does make running hard. I love the “twinning” shirts- and I love the race medal. Congratulations!
the humidity was rough for sure but a good time for both of us
So many things I love about this race!
You ran it with a friend, it was a way to get your long run done and you did it while visiting a different city!
Well done, Deborah, I’m glad it was a win!
yes, it was all about the fun!
I absolutely would jump into a race if it were happening in the area I was visiting! Great job out there! I’ve never run in Chicago but I think I need to it seems like a cool place for a run.
It sure is a fun city to run in
I’m pretty sure I commented but here it is again.
Yes Yes you have to run a race when you are traveling. You sound like me.
Of course, it’s to get out there but to have fun. You did both. You’re lucky to have a friend there too.
Congrats!
I may be turning into you!
This looks like so much fun and I am so glad you did it! That shirt is actually really nice and I love the medal. So glad you and Cynthia decided to for it and had a great time!
We had a great time together!
So great that you got to meet up with a running friend AND run the 10K race! I also love the swag, especially the medal.
The swag was nice!
How fun! I hope you weren’t too sweaty for the Uber ride home — oh, I guess you changed clothes?
Oh we were so sweaty! I sat on the race t shirt 🙂