Maybe you aren't one of us crazy people who enjoy running in the winter. Outside. In the single digit temperatures after 6 inches of snow. Yeah, we are, perhaps, an unusual breed. There are lots of us. But I realized there are lots more people who prefer many other activities to that. Like sitting on the couch with a bowl of soup. Kidding. Perhaps working out on the stairmaster or treadmill at the gym. But, for most every kind of runner, we can agree on one thing. The Shamrock Shuffle generally kicks of the outdoor racing season in Chicago.
That means many different things to different people. I know runners who train all winter for it, then slack off during the warm months. There are others who make sure they are in shape to finish the 8k distance, but really use it to get their running season started. And 
many others view the race as a goal in itself to finish.
All these objectives wrapped up into one race have helped make the Shuffle one of, if not the largest 8k race in the country. It has grown rapidly. I remember when there were a few thousand runners making their way through downtown. This year, they capped the entries at 32,500 runners two months before the race. Yeah, running has become pretty popular.
One of the big changes they are making for this year's race is to offer an elite team 
competition. The Shamrock has always attracted a number of elite athletes at the front. Most notably, Olympic Marathon Silver medalist Deena Kastor smashed the American record at the 8k distance in 2005. She ran 24:36, beating the previous record of Lynn Jennings (set in 1991) by 26 seconds!
There will be plenty of elite individuals on hand this year, though Carey is not ready to confirm the list at this point. As for the team competition though, he says there are several high profile teams in the midwest that he hopes to attract. That includes the famed Hanson-Brooks team from Michigan, and the Fleet Feet racing team from right here in 
Chicago. A number of Olympic trials qualifiers have come from those and other area teams.
They're offering prize money for first through fifth place among the teams. It reminds me of cross country, where you can run for something greater than your own personal goals. Only the top four runner's times will count toward the competition, as opposed to the top five in cross country.
Even though the field is full, they have reserved some spots for the teams who still want to enter, but they have to meet the strict qualifying times. For men that means an 8k time under 27:00, and for women under 32:00. So it's not for everyone.
Carey Pinkowski tells me this might develop into the start of an effort to make the Shamrock a National Championship for the 8k distance. As you know, Carey is race director for both the Shuffle and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The first 2 and a half miles of the 8k course are the same as the start of the marathon course, so there's an added attraction to runners from out of town who want to familiarize themselves with running here before they begin training for the big race in the fall.
And of course, there is the legendary post-race party and concert. This is probably the best post-race party in the area, partly because the runners are able to recover from the relatively short distance enough to be able to enjoy a beverage or two, and still have enough energy to dance around a little. And the music is always great. They have narrowed down the choice to a couple of bands who have played in the past, but they are not ready to release the name yet. I'll keep you posted.
And I'll see you on the roads....
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