Up until this morning at 7am, I was absolutely certain that I was NOT going to register for the 2013 Chicago Marathon. It wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t upset about it. I just wasn’t willing to commit until I got thru the Lansing Marathon to see how my foot took the abuse training regimen. No big deal. Then at 7am this morning, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I started “thinking” about it. Thinking about how sad I was last year to miss the marathon. Thinking about how much I love Chicago Marathon weekend. Thinking about how easy it is to just drive downtown the morning of the race, run and drive back home to my babies when I’m finished.
Well, I’m a better “doer” than “thinker” so by 7:05 am, I was browsing thru my old email folder looking for the alumni charity runner info that Ronald McDonald House Charities had sent me. By 7:30, my commitment form was signed and sent off to RMHC. Done. Or so I thought.
Little did I know that the charity runner registration process had changed since last year. RMHC no longer registered me (which had to be a total nightmare on their end) but instead, sent me a registration link and a code to register. This meant that I had to fight the fight with everyone else come noon. Now, I was ready and waiting at noon just like everyone else. I have a high powered cpu at work and it should have taken minutes to register but instead the link took me to a page that notified me that the site was currently “unavailable”.
Again, and again, and again. Sometimes, I’d get a bit of information entered, then click to the next screen to reveal the above message box. Two times, I made it all the way to the end and entered my charity code. The first time, it immediately took me to the “site is unavailable” screen, the second time, it acknowledged my code, then encouraged me to click “submit” to finalize my registration. It was at that time, it took me back to the “site is unavailable” screen. So am I in, or not? My friend Jill sent me this screen shot which she found under the “runner’s registered” section:
So I “think” I’m in although I have yet to get a confirmation email. Maybe, maybe not. I’m done stressing about it. If it’s meant to be, I’ll be running the streets of Chicago on October 13th. If not, I’ll go to Indy, or Detroit, or Milwaukee and run one of those much smaller but still amazing races. Enough is enough but I’m curious to see if I’m in or not! I truly love the Chicago Marathon. I think its worth the $$. Its worth the time and effort training in the summer heat. It’s worth it for me since its in my backyard!
How did you make out in the registration extravaganza today? Are YOU in?
Don’t forget, you can still register for the Lansing Half or Full Marathon with the $10 off coupon code: CHICAGO10. They have room for you!
** Good luck, no matter where you race! ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **
TooTallFritz 
That has got to be very frustrating. If you end up not getting in come run with me at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon or what the heck, run them both!!
I like Indy Monumental a lot but its on a SAT and hubby works, so I don’t have a sitter. Plus I have travel expenses: hotel/valet parking/food/gas.
I thought the benefit of the charities is that they have guaranteed entries and you don’t have to fight the masses to get in? Pure craziness!
That’s how it has always been in the past. You sent them the info and you were done. Things changed this year, which I understand. I’m pretty sure they will get me a spot no matter what, like even if it closes today and I’m not officially registered. They always “hold” a certain number of slots for runners they can recruit after registration closes but they like those of us who are committed, to timely register to “save” those extra spots for new people.
Nope…didn’t even think of it….have no money to register until March…if it still open. Sounds like “server” overload. I am refusing to mess with races anymore that sell-out on first day or first few days. If I don’t get in…will sit on it and see if some charity bibs come available late stage like I got in last year. Almost afraid to look to see if it still open!
I know. I was going to stay away this year too but its convenient for me and I don’t have to inconvenience too many others by running.
It’s not in my “race budget” this year and luckily the mess everyone else is dealing with has squashed any temptation I had to register! Although I do feel bad for the headache it’s causing. Having been on the other side of web site malfunctions I can certainly sympathize with Active.com.
It came down to the fact that I could run this cheaper (especially thru charity) than I could travel to run elsewhere. That and I like the race. It may be expensive but they know what they are doing.
I hope everything works out and you are officially registered! Jill is so resourceful! Of course she would be the one to look up the information! 🙂
Yeah, I would get nothing but a blank screen with that error message and she got right thru and gave me a screen shot! Yay! 🙂
Thanks for calling me resourceful. I read on the BOA page that people with Macs were getting in, and I decided to see if that was true. I was just trying to help a friend. =)
It took me 50 minutes with literally one hundred fails before I was able to register. I will see if I get double charged like some runners.
That screen shot gives me anxiety. I believe I am in. I was able to pull up that same registration info. No email yet. When I clicked the link to send the payment, it gave me an error. I kept trying again until someone looked up my registration. This took 2 hours.
This will be my first marathon and so excited. Feels like I accomplished a lot by just getting in. (if I am indeed in).
Did you get the email last night from BOA stating that you are a registrant?
I had thought off and on about entering this, but it wasn’t until you asked me about it, that I got serious about it and really wanted to enter! After refreshing the screen a couple times, I got in and was getting ready to put my info it, when I thought it might be a good idea to check with hubby first. Well, he didn’t want me to do it. Just because of the cost, plus hotel, etc.
I FINALLY talked him into it, but it was too late! Lol! Maybe it’s just not meant to be, but we will see! I’ll try again when it reopens. I thought about running for a charity, but I’m terrible at asking people for money! I just don’t think I could do it!
You can always stay with me if you don’t mind kids & dogs and total chaos. 🙂
Really?? I love kids, dogs and chaos! I live it every day! 🙂
Yep! Just sent you a msg.
Wow, that is such a nightmare! I’m hoping to run Chicago next year so hopefully they won’t have this issue again!
I never had problems registering for Chicago in the past. What makes this year different? The panic from the fast sellout of Naperville? Charity runners having to register themselves? Glad I decided to sit this one out and run Prairie State instead.
I think Naperville’s quick sell out had a huge impact on this mess. Plus the “talk” that Chicago might sell out in hours. Everyone was in a panic. I think a lot of this could have been avoided by opening registration at an earlier hour like midnight or 6am. Then the registrations would have staggered in rather that us ALL flooding their system at noon. My opinion, of course, but I think that would have made a big difference.
How much of the sell out hype do you think was self promoted? The news was running stories about how fast it could sell out.
I was googling around looking for Chicago registration stories and stumbled on yours! My sister-in-law and I decided in the summer of 2011 to run Chicago this year. I did a little research last week and found that it took 6 days last year and 10 the year before to fill so I wasn’t worried but I suggested that we be ready to register when it opened. It took me 1.5 hour to finally get in and it took her another hour beyond that. When they first temporarily closed registration, we did not know if she was in or not. She kept checking her credit card account and finally saw the charge show up.
We were both lucky that we only got charged once even though I was showing as being registered 3 times and she was showing 4 times!
We both got that late night email from Chicago Marathon saying that we were registered!!
I will be driving to Chicago from Michigan and she will be traveling from California. Chicago is her hometown and she has wanted to run the marathon there for a long time.
Good luck training for and running in Chicago!!
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