I'm contemplating running the Chicago marathon this year, but a huge concern for me would be hotels for the event. I see the official marathon hotel is $300/night which I really don't want to pay. Can someone recommend a hotel that would be cheaper, but convenient to get to the marathon? One option is to stay outside the city and drive in, but then my concern would be parking. Ideally, I don't want to pay more than $150 or so per night.

I ended up booking a room at the Essex Inn which is 0.25 miles from the start and finish. It was $229/night plus taxes and I had to pre-pay, although I can cancel for a full refund by Sep 11.

Derek, I just saw your post on the main boards and wanted to let you know my experience with the Essex. I was at a conference in Chicago a couple of years ago, and the girls from my lab and I booked a room at the Essex. We opened the door to our room and immediately smelled mold and mildew, and the carpets were stained and disgusting. The staff acted like they got that all the time. We got another room, slept on tissue paper thin sheets, and checked out the next morning and into the Hilton (I think) next door. The lobby of the Essex is modern, but everything else is old. For grad students to pay for a Hilton, you know we were unhappy! Just my thoughts, maybe check some reviews online to see if other people had bad experiences. I know being comfortable is important before your first marathon!