Feeling lucky used to be one of the themes for the Shamrock Shuffle 8k, which has become the largest event of it's kind in the country. It will take over downtown Chicago on Sunday morning, as the traditional kick-off to the running and racing season in Chicago. But even before we start shuffling, it's time to start planning for a fall marathon.
That's because if you want to run Chicago, you may need a little luck to get the opportunity. The overwhelming response last year when registration opened caused the system to crash early in the process. So they used a lottery system to fill the remaining slots.
This year Chicago is using a modified lottery system from the beginning. Unless you have run a qualifying time (3:15 for men, 3:45 for women) or have run in five of the last ten Chicago marathons, you are left to the luck of the draw. No one can predict your chances of getting in until they know how many have entered, but it's a pretty good bet there will be plenty of folks hoping for a spot. The lottery opened last week and goes through April 7
I know the marathon staff spent a lot of time evaluating the best system for the lottery. They wanted to reward those who've been loyal to the race over the last decade, by giving them a guaranteed spot. They also want to give runners a goal to strive for to achieve a guaranteed entry. The qualifying time is not quite as difficult as Boston, or New York, but it is definitely a time that only a relatively small percentage of runners have achieved.
I had the pleasure of doing a story on the registration process for ABC-7 last week. Here's the link: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=9472991#.Uy4J5LaaX94.email.
There are some great options for those who don't get into Chicago via the lottery. One of the best is in Naperville, which is putting on a full and half marathon for the second year, about a month after Chicago. They have changed the course this year to accomodate the large field. Last year, some of the race was on trails, and the rest on roads. This year, it will be entirely on roads. They sold out quickly last year, but doubled the size of the field for this year. So there are still entries available. I would expect they will fill up quickly once people learn the results of the Chicago lottery.
Meantime, you can get a guaranteed spot through a number of Charity programs which offer entries and training programs in exchange for fundraising. That option is available both in Chicago and Naperville. And it's a great way to give your run a purpose, and something to remember while you are nearing the wall late in the race!
So I wish you luck, not only as the season gets underway with Shamrock, but as we look ahead to the end of the season in the fall!
See you on the roads........