Hoka Chicago Half Marathon 2021 Recap

[@rydrhi]

Run each year with all the previous years medals for a real challenge 🥵

[@Martha-fluterunner]

Don’t tell me the full marathon medals are twice that big

[@macau.friend]

Now I know why you ran in the Bondi. A race that gives out gigantic medals require a gigantic shoe 🤣

[@RunTommy123]

Prime X for the win

[@RoneyThomas]

The weather was perfect. Started running after discovering this channel and it was great meeting you.

[@larkhill97]

I can confirm that the 2015 medal was huge, and I recall the race making a big deal about how it was the largest in Chicago. This year's are modest by comparison: 2021 medal: 5.5" diameter, 11.6 oz 2015 medal: 6" diameter, 22.6 oz

[@kofuzi]

Someone shared a picture of their 2015 medal with me. It was indeed gigantic! Anyone know what 2014 was like?

[@Martha-fluterunner]

Maybe they were designed by the person who invented Chicago “Pizza” (I know I’m not supposed to put those two words together, kofuzi, so I put it in quotes)

[@curtdalgleish2903]

Pretty soon they’ll be giving out Stanley Cup replicas.

[@jasonradio202]

I really enjoyed your analysis of the event. I've only run half marathons solo and never for a competition. You've motivated me to take that next leap and start training for it .

[@raybaumgardner]

The half marathon medals in my area aren’t as large but they do incorporate bottle openers!

[@DevRunner]

Oh man I love those medals! I'd eat my post race meal and use that as the plate! Great pace Mike! Keep pushing!

[@runningwithjane]

I'm all about walking through the aid stations, too. My past self never would have done this for fear of lost seconds, but as I've become more experienced I've realized that it doesn't effect my time negatively and I enjoy my moment of hydration much more. Congrats on an awesome prep half marathon!

[@venture1883]

Glad to see you have the same exact problem with the unived recovery packets. Always goes all the counter when I tear it open. Way to go!

[@robertarchuleta7960]

Michael..I'm predicting a 3:03:44 for you for the Marathon...I think your fitness level is extremely high and you for sure have put in the work for that time..good luck!!!

[@ferf04]

I missed meeting up with you after the race! but it was a wonderful day to go for a run on Lake Shore drive, and my first time in Chicago. The city treated me well, and I can not wait to go back to see more. and hopefully I could continue my collection of ridiculous medals.

[@seadude2005]

Good luck in the marathon! It’ll be my first! I appreciate all your content and information.

[@whykid]

This is nothing short of inspiring, Michael. To more events, and more medals. But most importantly, more enjoyable runs.

[@timtrenholm3698]

LOL, that medal would pull down my medal rack off the wall! I started running with the Stryd foot pod during my Spring 2020 Marathon training block and have been a firm believer ever since. Every race plan has been accurate and easy to accomplish. Completely keeps me from going out too hot. I am now using a 3 block strategy for all races. 1st third you keep the power number 5-10watts below target. 2nd third I hit target. And the last 3rd is all about maintaining target...but every attempt using this method has been around 10watts over target. Which is probably my CP being a tad under estimated. But I'm ok with that. Wishing you the best for Chicago Marathon, and getting that BQ!

[@Xavis0]

Hoka maximalist design philosophy translating into those medals. 😂

[@BrendonCamm]

I kid you not, I intentionally opened KZbin thinking you’d have this exact video out.

[@Top-Comment-1]

Great race recap love the post race analysis and breaking down the numbers. Regards Aid Stations pinch 🤏 the to of the paper cups to form a spout making drinking at Marathon pace a bit easier. For Fueling a Gel every 30 Minutes is a good call. Best of luck 🤞 in the Marathon.

[@TheChessPlayer1956]

Explore and experiment, some things pan out some not so much. I am in my 1st year of "serious" running and I have lots to learn about many things. I wish I could know it all but I know life is not like that. All the best today and every day Ko. See in on the livestream just a few minutes away.

[@ChrisSee]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts leading up to the Chicago Marathon. It’s so crazy to hear someone talk about the same exact things going through my head leading up to this race. Hope to see you on the 9th!

[@jsonlee01]

JFC! Those medals!!! What perverse pleasure do you garner from showing you almost throwing up? At least you didn’t include sound this time. LOL

[@nexuslux]

hey man, good luck on the prep!

[@tonybowen455]

Great time with the bondi x. A huge plus for the shoe not a minus imo even considering the hotspot.

[@Mattrunning]

The stranger at the camera in the end got me hahah

[@divinegon4671]

You have great analysis. I’m going to watch more videos

[@timmclaughlin1881]

Is it supposed to look like flava flav, or wearing a hubcap?

[@zhiyanyang5386]

Inspiring and informational. Love the recap and breakdown !

[@ensignwiggles87]

If you get hungry after the race you can use the medal as a plate!

[@neferiusnexus]

the Flex intro is amazing

[@terryfurlong518]

Chicago Sewage Company have called they want their manhole cover back. (Apologies if that doesn’t translate well from the UK).

[@Martha-fluterunner]

Terry, I think that’s hilarious. It translates.

[@dewknow1315]

When are we going to see that 100k belt buckle . 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️👍😎❤️

[@rockinginfiniverse1617]

Congratulations!

[@GarethFreshwater]

I wish that the weather was my only concern over here in England. I have Manchester Marathon coming up in a couple of weeks and we have a problem with petrol stations not being able to get any petrol right now. So I have no idea if my car will have any petrol to get me to the race in the first place!

[@terryfurlong518]

How I wish I brought an electric car! I blame Boris.

[@mariusenescu2981]

For the marathon I will follow the Maurten fuel w/ a gel every 6km. Have been testing this out during long runs and the Maurten gels are quite easy on the stomach.

[@lairdgallagher3620]

Do you really need more than 1 gel if you're doing the half in 90 minutes? Or was your fueling strategy more about a dress rehearsal for the full marathon than what you'd need during an all-out, A goal half?

[@dennisjordan8300]

Thanks for the update been following you for awhile! Where the best place to stay for 2022/. Half Chicago Marathon Hotels etc how far from the airport is the race ?

[@2fresh37]

Good stuff Kofuzi.

[@jimduyck]

THISSSSS...I was hoping for a quirks and features breakdown on the medals.

[@tonybowen455]

Did my first run in bondi x today. Asking a lot of it to be faster in the hm, that's so fast esp for a bondi imo. I think I'll use it for my hm in a week. It def doesn't like going fast, but it doesn't like going slow. I want my legs to be rested after, but I also want a shot at a hm pr if I'm feeling it, LOL! Thoughts on this vs bondi 7? My bondi 6 felt more cushioned and squishy. I wonder if my legs will recover as well in the x.

[@kevrunsascott]

That is some serious bling!!!

[@mikesimms1]

Those medals are crazy! I have podium finisher medals from 20 years ago that are only 1.5 inches across and super cheap looking. Medal inflation is apparently a thing.

[@kofuzi]

That 1.5” medal would be huge in today’s terms though

[@lovethyANGELS]

lol with the ending reel with the guy standing right in front of the shot knocking te gopro over.

[@aayusharora2459]

Biggest finisher medal I have ever seen

[@bmd6343]

Excellent and informative video as always. Great time especially carrying a selfie stick. 😅 Do you find you get light headed or lacking energy if you don’t have two gels in a HM? Our times are very similar and a gel at the 10K mark is fine for me. The Gu slogan one every 45 mins works well for many (and one 5 min before the start if need be) for both the HM and the FM. Good luck for the big race. Fingers crossed for good weather.

[@kofuzi]

I don't get light headed, but sometimes I will feel hungry

[@bmd6343]

@@kofuzi 😅

[@margidim1472]

Awesome, congrats,😊🏃

[@drberrydds1]

Those are huge medals, are they compensating for something? The half that is, just to be clear?

[@jamesb.walker9177]

RC Elite 2 Perhaps would have worked out better overall and on this hard road?

[@ZanicL3]

Seems like a proper fight. Bondi X vs the RC Elite v2

[@andys5363]

Anyone know what the award/prizes were for the top 3 over?

[@thegaijin]

Those medals are frickin awesome

[@ianboi7]

Hi Mike! I'm planning to enter this year. Where did you park? Thanks.

[@undeadly1103]

So i wear a 10.5 in the Mach 4, but all other Hokas i wear a 10. Would you say stick with 10 for the Carbon X 2 or go up to 10.5? The Mach 4 and Carbon X 2 seem to have similar "footprints" if you know what i mean. I do not have a store near me to try it on unfortunately

[@kofuzi]

I would go with what you use for the Mach 4

[@undeadly1103]

@@kofuzi thank you kindly

[@IllinoisStrider]

I've never been a fan of the medals for this race since they started the oversized thing. They look goofy compared to all my other medals.

[@mikefaber3567]

What's your age group ? Your not in your 40s are you I'm 46 I ran a 1/2 2 weeks ago and came in at 1:26:47 as part of my build up to my marathon which is the same day as Chicago. Believe it or not I was second in my age group. Now I wasn't tapered so didnt sell out but ran hard. I'm shooting for a sub 3.

[@kofuzi]

I’m in the 40-44 year old age group

[@mikefaber3567]

@@kofuzi damn I did not think you were that old but when I heard what you needed to qualify for Boston I was like what wait a second that's an old man qualifying time like me lol. Anyways you must be living right hope you have a great race.

[@markforquer8214]

I’m not sure it will be so hard to get into Boston next time only because there have been o few marathons over the last year.

[@eternaldrive]

Wow those are some serious medals..

[@Mike-cs9jr]

In a marathon I typically take gels every 35 minutes which works well for me but if my stomach seems to have any issues I will delay them a bit but not too much.

[@CR-ew9gl]

🤣🤣Some medals... great for strength and conditioning session😏

[@Laver1969]

What kind of compression shorts are those? Do they have a good pocket for phone and gels?

[@ChirsRichardson10]

What shoe do you think you will use for the marathon?

[@tobieabraham2518]

First to comment. Great job you do, Kofuzi.

[@kofuzi]

thanks Tobie!

[@CraigRowand]

Damn, they some big ass medals!

[@ricodelavega4511]

How is this time not in the top 10 for your age group, or masters in general?

[@kofuzi]

I think I was 12th in my age group. feeling good about that.

[@markoljustina]

@@kofuzi what is yours hm pb?

[@leejoycechung2162]

Nice collection of metals

[@WhiskyMystery]

My heart rate is always too high at the start of a marathon because of the excitement. So not very reliable. Power probably a better measure and I think 3:05 could be your target for the early miles.

[@ChristianRunsNY]

What's with that medal lol?! the Marathon's is a normal size, where can you store those things??

[@EffigyofChaos]

Do you all ever race these longer races with runner headphones in? One ear or both?

[@kofuzi]

I run with earbuds that have pass through audio. The mics pipe in ambient sound.

[@tehorakwanekengoodleaf8626]

the pace might not feel so labored after a taper

[@divinegon4671]

So you got 1st place? Or do they give medals to everyone?

[@kofuzi]

These are participation medals

[@RunTommy123]

Dang haven't seen a medal that big since the Disney Marathon

[@esmondw]

Nice glasses! 👓

[@surajtripathi3624]

Still great run

[@darinmills9896]

Can anyone identify the shoe the runner behind Kofuzie was wearing at about 4 minutes of the video?

[@satuming]

I believe it's the Nike Vaporfly Next% 2 in the Rawdacious colorway

[@AhmedAliNizamani]

V Nice sharing my dear respected friend Full Support and Big from Ahmed Ali Nizamani,.,.

[@stuartwalker6786]

They're just ridiculous!..... I'm all for a nice medal, but c'mon! 🤣🤣🤣 I hope they're at least manufactured from recycled scrap!!! and imagine the reinforced wall brackets you need to show them! 😳😯😯🤣

[@kofuzi]

they are a bit big

[@williamlunn-pigula7029]

You could stay your own early 90s hip hop group with those medals.....

[@xTruuth]

Those things are massive lmao

[@Mike-cs9jr]

You could use those medals for some strength work!

[@iputuoka2707]

Legit RS reviewer, but where is full marathon trophy then??

[@kofuzi]

The full marathon is operated by a different company. The medals are normal sized

[@B1gC4st]

The larger the medal, the more likely I'm willing to travel for a race. #AllAboutTheBling

[@RunTommy123]

Grab 2nd to last water cup and roll off to the side like a NASCAR pit stop.

[@PAUL_THE_THING1]

Now they are medals. 😁😁

[@stephencsaplar6382]

Those medals are ridiculous, I think I would probably not take one. What are you supposed to do with those? Hubcaps? 🙄🏅🤦🏻

[@divinegon4671]

Wtf is a “hot spot” is it bad? Explain it please

[@kofuzi]

It feels hot in a spot under my foot. Sometimes, it just stays warm there, like there’s undue friction. Other times, hot spots develop into something worse, like a bruise or a feeling akin to a pinched nerve.

[@user-rl3ef4ju9k]

So that's were all the scrap metal is going!

[@onlytm981]

I think they're not medals but shields

[@tednruth453]

Wowser!😀 the biggest medals? in the history of medals? possibly? ever? Could be?

[@rachelhobson5725]

Are you an extremely small dude … or are those medals ginormous?

[@kofuzi]

the options you suggest are not mutually exclusive

[@franklehouillier8865]

I guess I was wrong. That medal this year is small.

[@kofuzi]

it's also the lightest of the bunch

[@steevie76]

Aid station etiquette ☕️

[@TheAdrian1977]

Heavy metal.

[@kofuzi]

indeed

[@MK-tk8tb]

Too much thinking. When is running fun?

[@kofuzi]

maybe it's too much thinking for you, and I can appreciate that. if you want to simplify, then simplify. I'm not saying everyone needs to do approach their running like I do. but I would caution that most people who say "keep it simple" or "run by feel" typically have a lifetime of running experiences, whether its from a run group, being coached as an adult, or running on competitive teams in their youth.

[@matthewdavies6470]

those medals are too big

[@emanuelsantos5585]

WTF?!