"This weekend brought me back to life in a way that I didn't even realize I needed so badly." By some kind of miracle, I made it to the 2023 Chicago Marathon! Not to run it, though: I was in town (for the first time!) as one of the finish line announcers on race day. The whole weekend was a dream, from the first post-surgery run to the Abbott Chicago 5K (I ran it!) to the friendships and emotional moments to, of course, race day. SPONSORS: UCAN: Click here to get a FREE UCAN energy bar sample pack (you’ll just pay the cost of shipping), and use code ALIUCAN for 20% off your next UCAN order. Vuori: Click here for 20% off your first Vuori purchase. The Eugene Marathon: Register for the Eugene Marathon (April 28, 2024) and save $10 with code ONTHERUN. What you'll get on this episode: What life looked like before heading to the 2023 Chicago Marathon (3:00) All about Friday, including my first post-surgery run (!!!), the elite athlete press conference, walking Rivers (!!!), and the welcome reception (20:45) Saturday: running Abbott Chicago 5K, trying to see The Bean, dim sum in Chinatown, and laughing late into the night (44:45) Recapping Chicago Marathon race day, from the world records to the final finishers (1:02:30) Listener Q&A (1:22:40) Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Subscribe to the newsletter SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!