Race Recap | 2018 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K & 2 Mile Walk

I first ran the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k in 2012 and took a break for a few years. I returned in 2015 and have run the race for the past 4 years. I’ve found that race day has become easier with each event and now it’s pretty smooth sailing from Start to Finish.

This is one of my favorite races in Chicago because it’s one of the seemingly few races in the city that isn’t held at Montrose Harbor and it has a closed course. It’s usually my first race of the year and there’s something a little delightfully intimidating about starting things off with an 8k instead of a shorter 5k. This race really shows me whether my winter training has paid off or not and gives me a good idea of what I’ll need to work on to improve my time.

I keep getting put into Wave 2 since my speed isn’t the best, and I actually prefer the later start time because it lets us park in the Millennium Garages a little before 8am, at which point Michigan Ave is closed off to traffic. Parking is only $13 for the day (we order online ahead of time) and it gets you right there! All we have to do is cross into the park and we’re right where we need to be. I don’t even bother with gear check anymore and I should remind myself that I don’t need to be in my Corral until 15 minutes before the race starts so I can keep warm in the car.

The start of the race has gotten better. Wave 1 (A-D) starts at 8:30am and Wave 2 (E-H) starts at 9am. A few years ago we started at 9am, but I don’t think I actually crossed the Start until 9:45am or so. The past couple years it’s been closer to 9:15am for Corral G.

I was especially grateful for being able to finish faster because it was so very cold.To be honest, I was miserable most of the time. I was happy to be there and I am satisfied with my time, but I wasn’t dressed properly and didn’t get to thoroughly enjoy the event.

A downfall of Shamrock Shuffle is that it’s not on the same weekend each year, so it’s hard to predict the weather. But it’s also early spring in Chicago, so it’s not like you can really predict the weather accurately on any given weekend around that time anyway. We were promised a high in the low 40s, but I don’t think it got any warmer than 38 degrees. My weather app kept saying “Feels like 18°F.”

I wore what I usually wear for this race, but it was much colder than usual and that made a huge difference. I had on a pair of compression shorts as underwear, my Athleta running tights, thick Feetures socks, Brooks running shoes, my Shefit Ultimate Sports Bra, a Raw Threads t-shirt, Pearl Izumi shrug, and a fleece-lined pullover that I typically remove before running. I opted to keep that extra layer on and don’t regret that decision one bit. Last year I had actually worn a pair of sweatpants that I took off before running and I wish I’d thought about that this time. Another issue was that I forgot to bring my face guard and ended up wearing my husband’s knit hat. That helped, but wasn’t as thick as I’d have liked. Gloves would have also helped. I wasn’t prepared.

In short, basically anything extra to keep my temperature up would have helped. I was shivering from the moment we arrived and we left shortly after I crossed the Finish since I was shaking so much that I feared I’d get more beer on my clothes than in my mouth.

The course is what it always is. It’s predictable and I love it. You get a couple inclines throughout, with one at the beginning, one around 3.5 miles, and another larger push at the end. Otherwise, it’s a pretty fast and flat road race. You run into occasional potholes, but safety marks anything of concern and you can spot uneven surfaces pretty easily.

There were over 30,000 participants in 2018 and registration was $50 for the 8k and $35 for the 2 mile walk that was added in 2017. I usually sign up for next year’s event shortly after the race and can get discounted pricing of $39. This year they did a second discount push right before the race and offered that pricing again in March. I’m not sure if they’ll do it that way for 2019. Either way, $39 is the best deal I’ve ever seen and it’s not a bad price for the distance and experience.

You also had the option to have your packet mailed to you this year and I think it cost less than $20 (maybe $15?). I opted to go to packet pick-up at McCormick Place and regret it. It was such a letdown this year because they did away with the Health & Fitness Expo, so it was just a basic packet pick-up. There were only a few vendors present and most of them weren’t even at their booths when I went on the Friday evening before the event. I’d been in a rush to get my packet before pick-up closed that day and completely missed the part about validated parking for $10. We ended up paying $23 at the McCormick Place garage, which is ridiculous. If it’s going to be like that again, I’ll skip it and pay the premium to have my packet sent to me.