What You Didn't Know about the Chicago Women's Half Marathon

Freihofer's Run celebrates women runners, too. Credit: michaelstyne

I might be making a bit of a broad assumption but when you're a runner, a triathlete or an endurance junkie, it's tough not to get excited about a new race that lands on your radar. I know I've been giddy over Ironman St. George (or maybe I was more freaked out by its intensity) and Ironman New York City (even though I still have no desire to pedal the Palisades Parkway or bounce between New Jersey and New York in a single race). I was thrilled to read about the now defunct Lakeshore Marathon--a spring marathon for Chicagoans on the Lakefront Path that disappeared after 2005. In the last year, I've heard about several new events landing in Chicagoland from the Zooma half marathon in Lake Geneva to the Run for Your Heart 5K that was held indoors at McCormick Place, and from Fort2Base with its unique nautical mileage to the upcoming Big 10K and Chicago 10K. And I've often registered for a newer race instead of a mainstay, especially when one is closer to home than the other or most cost-effective.

That last thought is something I could totally see myself doing with the inaugural Chicago Women's Half Marathon and 5K on June 24. It's in Grant Park--far closer than the triathlons I considered in Pleasant Prairie and Lake Geneva. It's new--as you can tell from the use of inaugural. And as far as half marathons go, it's pretty affordable--$65 for the half and $35 for the 5K.

But we took the thrills and chills for the Chicago Women's Half one step further and dug up the facts that you may not have known about the race. I never would have known No. 3 until someone told me. Here's why you'll want to get excited for this inaugural 13.1-miler through the Windy City.

How to Train for the Chicago Women's Half Marathon

And we're running! Credit: lululemon athletica

It's one thing to sign up for a race. It's another to train for a race, especially when that race is longer than a 5K, 8K, 10K. Some of us can bang those out in our sleep, but it's the 10-milers, the half marathons and the marathons where we need to put a training plan in place to get us to the finish line. I know I've learned my lesson--on more than one occasion--going into races of those lengths blind. They're painful, they're slow, and they're no where near what I think I'm capable of running so I finish hungry for more. It's a bit of a vicious cycle that I know my parents, and probably husband too, are ready for me to put a stop to. And they also leave me injured, either sore beyond belief for a few days or sidelined for a few months.

Basically, you don't want to be like me. And if you've signed up for the inaugural Chicago Women's Half Marathon on June 24, a really cool race that's replacing the annual Fleet Feet Women's Festival held in July, you don't have to. Equinox and Fleet Feet have partnered to create Enhanced by Equinox, which will serve as the race's official training program. Lasting 12 weeks and starting on April 9, you'll gain plenty of miles underfoot to prepare you for the 13.1 on race day. But wait, there are far more perks to the $220 program, offering even more bang for your buck like recovery tips, stretching techniques and strength training. Here's a look: