Overview
The course passes by or through several of the most prominent parts of the Chicago Park District on the South Side including Midway Plaissance, Jackson Park and Burnham Park. The route passes through several community areas: Woodlawn, the South Shore border, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, and Douglas. [6] The first running October 5, 1997 occurred along the Lake Michigan lakefront and finished in Grant Park. [7] In 1998, the race moved to the South Side course that begins and ends near the Museum of Science and Industry. [8] That year's race, which had 4100 runners, was part of the USA Track & Field state championship series, crowning the state half marathon champions. [9] The race is now listed as one of three half marathons in Chicago. [10]
Some runners, including 2009 winner Patrick Rizzo, use the race to prepare for the Chicago Marathon. [11] Others, such as four-time winner Chris Wehrman, have used it as a tuneup for the New York City Marathon. [12] The 2004 edition of the race, which had 9,000 runners, served as the USA Track and Field State Championship. [13]
The first race, which had over 3000 competitors, was won by Grzegorz Olszowik of Willowbrook, Illinois (1:09.46) and 1996 Marathon Olympian Jenny Spangler of Gurnee, Illinois (1:20.19). [14] Greg Costello won the race three consecutive times from 2006-2008. [15] Chris Wehrman won the race 4 times in 5 years between 2000 and 2004. [12] In 2006, Banco Popular became the title sponsor of what was called the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon presented by the Illinois Agents of Farmers Insurance. [16] It continued as sponsor until 2008 when the race was known as the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon & 5K. [17]
In 2022, the City of Chicago requested that the route be shortened just before the start of the race. A city spokesperson claimed that the change was necessary to “ensure the safety of race participants due to a conflict with vehicles around 31st Street,” which was related to traffic from the Chicago Bears game at Soldier Field. The race organizers did not inform any participants until after the race. The change resulted in a course that was 12.6 miles long. [18]
Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon for 32 years after winning the race in 1985. Her time at the Boston Marathon was the fastest time by an American woman at that race for 28 years. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
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