wow, there are no spectators at chicago

bitch tits wrote:

were you inside? 20-deep from the curb would pretty much put you there. i don't think you have any idea what "10-20 deep" is. the crowds on 1st ave in nyc, which are MUCH bigger than anything in chicago aren't even close to that.

Translation: I'm an obnoxious NY'er and nothing could possibly be bigger than it is here.

bitch tits wrote:

were you inside? 20-deep from the curb would pretty much put you there. i don't think you have any idea what "10-20 deep" is. the crowds on 1st ave in nyc, which are MUCH bigger than anything in chicago aren't even close to that.

I fully agree. No other marathon in the world can match the enormous crowds, grandeur and stunning vistas of Gotham.

Do you have a job? wrote:

Old Runner Guy wrote:

Two million spectators today in Chicago is a reasonable guess. Any Sunday, drive the course in two hours and you'll see at least a million people. Chicago is a big city and the marathon runs within a few blocks of the vast majority of the city's population.

Wow! I fell off the back of my chair laughing when I read this and hit my head so hard I might sue you for it!

Either you're 1) 5 years old, 2) really really drunk, 3)really bad at numbers or 4) you haven't thought more than 2 seconds about it before you posted?

2,000,000 spectators = 47,398 per Km or 23.6 people per meter on each side of the street for the entire distance.

Care to revise your "reasonable" guess?

That's a great post and correctly shows that this 2mm number is crazy, however, your post does neglect the TIME factor and that some people may watch at the beginning and leave and be replaced by other people later on. This does happen a lot where people watch for 1/2 an hour and are replaced by someone else who watches for a while. In a big race like Chicago or NY you can have runners going by your one position as a spectator for 3 hours no problem.

ambassador orange wrote:

That's a great post and correctly shows that this 2mm number is crazy, however, your post does neglect the TIME factor and that some people may watch at the beginning and leave and be replaced by other people later on. This does happen a lot where people watch for 1/2 an hour and are replaced by someone else who watches for a while. In a big race like Chicago or NY you can have runners going by your one position as a spectator for 3 hours no problem.

Not really. It's more like a game of musical chairs. It's the same people replacing each other. Moreover, the people who were on the sidelines at the beginning, make it over to another viewing point and then again at the finishline. Crowd estimates are easily overstated by a factor of 10.

First let me say the Marathon is 42,194.99 metres long.

Second guesstimates at spectatorage are just that.

Thanks for the analysis of the silly 2 million people claim. Anyone want to take on this one?

Old Runner Guy wrote:

Any Sunday, drive the course in two hours and you'll see at least a million people.

From someone who ran the race...

There were more spectators than any marathon I've run...but I've not yet run Boston or NYC. I'd say the crowds were only slightly smaller than last year. It's windy in Chicago...I think people are used to it up there.

Alan

wineturtle wrote:

First let me say the Marathon is 42,194.99 metres long.

Second guesstimates at spectatorage are just that.

No the official distance is 42,195

I guess you guys have never lived in a big city. It's different here.

All the parades in Chicago attract nearly a million people for the same reason. They have them where the people live.

You have to remember that nearly 3 million people live a few blocks from some part of the race. Most will walk out and watch for a few minutes.

Many many thousands of others only have to look out their window as the marathon runs down their street. LaSalle street, near the beginning has apartment building as high as 50 stories where poeple watch fromt their window.

And don't forget that its free. You just have to turn your head to see it. It does nto require a lot of investment in running to be a specatator of the marathon.

As far as the grandeur of the NYC marathon, try London or Berlin. In case you're not sure, they are big cities in Europe, not in Georgia or Indiana.

Also, Chicago happens to be the city of neigborhood festivals. It famous for them. In Lakeview and Old Town, they had points on the course wehre they had bands and were serving food -- basically a giant block party.

Between mile 10 and 11 they even had review stands. They had so many people in this mile that many could not even see the race, I know, I was there.

Lastly, what is your guess at the number of people that saw the race?

Also include in your guess if you actually were part of the crowd yesterday or have ever been to a free festival or block party in Chicago (lay-overs at O'Hare do not count). The Marathon is a fall block party of the entire city.

bitch tits wrote:

20 deep??? that's another bs claim. i've watched chicago twice and the race is very unspectator friendly.

So the race if very friendly to unspectators? I'm not sure what an unspectator is, but I see no reason that the race should not be friendly to them.

Old Runner Guy wrote:

You have to remember that nearly 3 million people live a few blocks from some part of the race. Most will walk out and watch for a few minutes.

chicago's total population is about 2.85 million. the majority of them do not live within a few blocks of the course.

and parades in chicago do not attract nearly that many people. it's also ridiculous to call a spectator someone who turns their head to look out the window of their 48th floor condo.

I believe this is the only IAAF distance in Commonwealth units.26 miles 385 yards official.

don't you mean 'Murican units?

chuck d wrote:

Old Runner Guy wrote:

You have to remember that nearly 3 million people live a few blocks from some part of the race. Most will walk out and watch for a few minutes.

chicago's total population is about 2.85 million. the majority of them do not live within a few blocks of the course.

and parades in chicago do not attract nearly that many people. it's also ridiculous to call a spectator someone who turns their head to look out the window of their 48th floor condo.

Three million is a rounding error from 2.85. Difference is what 5%. troll!

I see where this is going. You have an elistist attitude. So let's cut to the chase. What 5k PR does one need to have to be counted as a spectator of a marathon?

Chicago is a town of 2.8 million, hardly any of them live on the marathon course. 2 million of them wouldn't be on the marathon course on a Sunday morning even if they were serving free bratwurst, beer and b******s.

Lets try again. If the entire 26 miles was lined by small apartments 15 feet wide you would have 18445 apartments facing the street per floor level. That's with no breaks for cross streets (Chicago is known for its wide boulevards, figure 75 ft at each cross street). If every apartment building was 10 stories high and 2 people lived in each apartment, if they all stuck their heads out of the windows during the marathon that would add up to only 369,000 people watching. If, in addition to everyone hanging out the windows of phantom 10 story apartment buildings lining every foot of the course, another 138,000 lined the course shoulder to shoulder the total would be only 507,000.

I got news for you, 10 story apartment buidings do not line every foot of the marathon course. In fact, most of the buildings in Chicago are only 4 stories. There are not 138,000 people lining the streets shoulder to shoulder.

Figure the actual number of spectators in the neighborhood of 150,000 to 200,000 at tops.

Old Runner Guy wrote:

I see where this is going. You have an elistist attitude. So let's cut to the chase. What 5k PR does one need to have to be counted as a spectator of a marathon?

if brian sell wants an 18 minute 5k'er to watch him run, he'll ask his wife.

Do you have a job? wrote:

Chicago is a town of 2.8 million, hardly any of them live on the marathon course. 2 million of them wouldn't be on the marathon course on a Sunday morning even if they were serving free bratwurst, beer and b l ow jobs.

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