Monique Navarro's Staging Area

The Big Ten Race is a fantastic event that brings together participants from across all the Big Ten schools and creates a great sense of camaraderie. Registration, packet pickup, and the overall event logistics were well organized. There were ample bathrooms, water access in the event area, and quality race swag.However, the biggest shortcomings of the event were the race course itself and the corralling system, both of which significantly impacted the participant experience and, at times, raised safety concerns.The current course is simply too narrow for an event of this size. With such a large number of participants, runners were forced into crowded conditions for much of the race. The course felt little wider than a large sidewalk, leaving inadequate room for passing and causing many participants to run on the grass or weave around others. This not only disrupted race pacing but also increased the risk of collisions and injuries.The corralling system also needs substantial improvement. Given the wide range of participant abilities—from competitive runners to casual joggers and walkers—the corrals should have been more finely segmented and better enforced. Without proper placement, faster runners quickly encountered slower-moving participants, creating bottlenecks and forcing many people to repeatedly slow down, maneuver around others, and abandon their intended race pace. For an event of this scale, a more structured corralling approach is essential to both safety and participant satisfaction.Additionally, considering the July heat, the first water station should have been positioned earlier on the course. While hydration support was available, the distance to the initial checkpoint felt too long given the temperatures and crowded conditions.Ultimately, the race has tremendous potential, but the course and crowd management need to better match the size of the event. The Big Ten and the City of Chicago likely have the resources to secure a wider route, including closing a full street if necessary. Expanding the course footprint and implementing a more effective corralling system would dramatically improve both safety and the overall racing experience for participants.