Beneficiary
Team Ortho Foundation is proud to have Shriners Hospitals for Children - Chicago as the beneficiary for our Polar Dash.
This hospital treats children who have orthopaedic and neuromusculoskeletal conditions, spinal cord injuries as well as cleft lip and palate.
Team Ortho Foundation's mission is to keep people active and promote good orthopaedic health, by organizing amateur athletic events. We also donate to orthopaedic research and programs.
You can find out much more about Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago by clicking here.
Chicago Monster Race Series
2013 is the year for the launch of the Monster Race Series in Chicago! The goal of the race series is to register early and get your running and race goals on your calendar for the rest of the year!
The Monster Series is fun and easy to do!
- Click here to register for all three races in the series (Polar Dash, Get Lucky, Monster Dash) -- Series registration must be complete by January 7, 2013 (you can still register for the series in person at our packet pick-up events).
- Come to Polar Dash packet pick-up and get your gear for the entire year! Yes! All Polar Dash, Get Lucky and Monster Dash 2013 gear will be ready for pickup. Bibs and chips will only be ready for Polar Dash and Get Lucky.
- Participants also get a free lucite medal display for their three medals (pictured top right)
- Series participants also have an added perk: If you cannot participate in a race you have signed up for-- for any reason, you can fill out our away form and we will mail you your bib, chip, gear and MEDAL. Click here to download your form for the Away Option.
USATF Certification
The Chicago Polar Dash's 10K and Half Marathon are both USATF-certified events. You can check out the official certification documents here.
Racer FAQ
You may have a few questions regarding the Polar Dash. You can get them all in one downloadable document.
Travel & Lodging
Join us from out of town for the Chicago Polar Dash! The Congress Hotel has a fantastic deal for Polar Dash participants. Just $79.00 for a double occupancy, one-night stay in the hotel on Michgan Avenue. It is just a few blocks to the Polar Dash Start and Finish at Arvey Field in Grant Park. It is also our final packet pick-up location which happens on January 11th.
Reserve your room now by calling 312-427-3800 Ext. 5025 or 1-800-635-1666. Participants must identify the Team Ortho Foundation room block when booking their room. This group rate expires Friday, January 4, 2013 so please book quickly!
Address:
The Congress Hotel
520 South Michigan Avenue (click here for map and directions)
Chicago, IL 60605
Half Marathon & 10K
The Polar Dash Half Marathon and 10K will be a fun and frosty adventure. At our inaugural Polar Dash in Chicago, runners will be in the mood to get 2013 started on the right foot with a good, old fashioned winter race! Because in Chicago we run outside YEAR 'ROUND!
Both the 10K and the Half Marathon are chip-timed races on a USATF-certified course that takes runners from Grant Park, south down the lake shore of Lake Michigan and back. See Course Information here. All runners get their Polar Dash fleece as well as a finisher's medal. Once you complete this race we'll have Hot Chocolate waiting for you at the finish line!
This is a cold weather race and participants must come ready to run in any kind of wintry weather.
Polar Dash Half Marathon & 10K Highlights
- Date: Saturday, January 12, 2013
- Half Marathon Start time: 9:00 a.m.
- 10K Start time: 9:15 a.m.
- Time limit for 10K: 2 hours
- Time limit for Half Marathon: 3 1/2 hours
- Chip-timed races
- USATF certified
- Hot Chocolate at the Finish Line
- Unisex Polar Dash fleece
- Stained-glass medal
- Option to have your gear and packet mailed to you during online registration. Must be registered by December 27th to meet the mailing deadline.
- Bag Drop/Pick-up
- Shriners Hospital for Children is the beneficiary for this race. It does fabulous orthopaedic work for children all over the U.S.
5K Information
The Polar Dash 5K is a fun, quick jaunt along Lake Michigan which starts and ends in Grant Park. The recscheduled date is Saturday, January 12th, 2013. See the course information here. All runners get their Polar Dash fleece as well as a finisher's medal. Once you complete this race we will have Hot Chocolate waiting for you at the finish line!
This is a cold weather race and participants must come ready to run in any kind of wintry weather.
Polar Dash 5K Highlights
- Saturday, January 12, 2013
- Start time: 9:25 a.m.
- Time Limit: 1 hour
- Hot Chocolate at the Finish Line
- Unisex Polar Dash fleece
- Stained-glass medal
- Arrange to have your gear and packet mailed to you during online registration (no mailouts after December 27th)
- Bag Drop/Pick-up
- Shriners Hospital for Children is the beneficiary for this race. It does fabulous orthopaedic work for children all over the U.S.
Course Information
The Polar Dash will be a fun and frosty race on Saturday, January 12th, 2013.
Half Marathon & 10K
The Half Marathon and 10K courses will go south down the Lakefront Trail from Grant Park. Double click on map to the right to see a larger view.
- Half Marathon Start Time: 9:00 a.m.
- 10K Start Time: 9:15 a.m.
- Start is locationed at Arvey Field-Grant Park (NE corner of Columbus and Roosevelt)
- USATF Certified -- see certification maps here.
- Common Start & Finish location
- 10K course is an "out and back" and turns around at mile 3.1 on the Half Marathon course.
- See Aid Station Information
5K Information
- 5K Start Time 9:25 a.m.
- Start is located at Arvey Field-Grant Park (NE corner of Columbus and Roosevelt)
Bib Numbers
This is where you need to be if you're looking up a bib number. You will need this number for packet pick-up.
Click here to see your 2013 Polar Dash bib numbers (updated 1.8.13)
The numbers are updated often, but are not instantaneous with your registration. Please be patient and check back every few days.
Packet Pick-up
Soon you will be able to pick up your fleece, bib and chip (chip only for 10K and Half Marathon) for the Chicago Polar Dash. You will need you bib number and a copy of your photo ID for Packet Pick-up. When bib numbers are posted you will your Bib numbers here. There will be no packet pick-up on race morning.
Packet Pick-up Schedule:
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Time: 1:00-7:00 p.m.
Runner's Edge
5243 North Clark
Chicago, IL 60640
Friday, January 11, 2013
Time: 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
The Congress Plaza Hotel
520 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
If you don't want to, or can't come to packet pick-up you can ask a friend to pick up for you. All they need is a photo copy or a picture of your photo ID and your bib number. Also, you can always request that we mail your packet for an additional $24.95 during online registration. After registration the convenience fee is $30. Mailout requests must be made by December 26th, to ensure delivery by race day.
If none of those options work and you would like to pick up your packet on race day, you must have it pre-arranged by January 7th, to ensure your packet makes it to the race. Race day price is $30. If you arrange for a race day pickup, we will do our best to give you the gear size you requested, but there is no guarantee your size will be in stock. Click here by January 7th to arrange your race-day gear pick-up and click on "registration" in the dropdown.
If you don't pre-arrange your packet pick-up and come on race day, you will pay $30 but only get to choose from the sizes of gear we have available.
Race Gear
The Polar Dash has GREAT GEAR for its runners! In 2013, racers will receive a super cozy Polar Dash Fleece! It is a quarter zip front with embroidery on the front and back as well as zippered pockets!
Important notes: As always we will have a gear exchange at the Polar Dash on race day so you can try to get the size you want. There will be no size exchanges after the event. Gear exchange is considered a courtesy. We will do our best to accommodate the size you want if it is available at gear exchange.
Partners
We will list our partners in this space, coming soon.
