The Chicago Marathon is a road marathon held in October in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the seven World Marathon Majors.[1] Thus, it is also a World Athletics Label Road Race. The Chicago Marathon is one of the largest races by number of finishers worldwide.[2] The race was awarded the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in 2024, for "outstanding contribution to the history and development of road running."[3]
Annual Chicago marathons were held from 1905 to the 1920s, but the first race in the present series occurred on September 25, 1977, under the original name the Mayor Daley Marathon, which drew a field of 4,200 runners. The race has been held every year since, except in 1987 when only a half-marathon was run, and in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5][6] It became among the fastest-growing modern-marathon road races in the world, due in part to its largely fast and flat course which facilitates the pursuit of personal records and world record performances.[7] It generally begins and ends in Grant Park, and travels streets of the North Side, West Side and South Side, before returning to the Loop. The race has achieved its elite status among marathons by developing relationships with sponsors who provide prize money to lure elite runners who have produced American and world record performances. Since 2008, the race has been sponsored and organized by Bank of America, and is officially known as the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The race admits around 50,000 runners and only runners who finish within 61⁄2 hours are officially timed.[7][8] Those wishing to participate can register after either meeting a time qualifying standard or being selected through a general lottery.[9] Although the race has limited registration, exceptions include elite runners, legacy finishers, and charity representatives.[10] In the 21st century, increasingly, local, national and global charities as well as humanitarian organizations encourage sponsored participation in the event as a means of fund raising.[11][12]
The first modern marathon at the 1896 Games of the I Olympiad in Greece generated interest in the sport which led to similar races throughout most western countries and across the United States. While marathons sporadically occurred in New York City and St. Louis,[13] the Boston Marathon had established an annual marathon in 1897, soon to be followed by a Chicago annual race.[14] Beginning in 1905,[15] the Chicago Marathon (organized first by the Illinois Athletic Club 1905 to 1909, then sponsored by the Chicago Daily News after 1910) was held annually, with significant community and spectator support, until the early 1920s.[16]
First Chicago Marathon September 23, 1905. Louis Marks in the lead.
The first Chicago Marathon was run on September 23, 1905.[14] That first race began at the Evanston Golf Club and finished in front of a standing-room-only paying crowd at Washington Park Race Track. Beginning with a little over a dozen runners, only seven completed the course.[17] In a stunning upset, a reported 100,000 or more spectators watched Chicagoan Rhud Metzner come from behind to steal a late-race victory from the favored Louis Marks.[15] With that first race, the Chicago Marathon began an annual run of epic races that continued until the early 1920s, eventually on a revised course that largely resembles today's marathon route.[16] The second year, feet bleeding, Canadian Dennis Bennett won, while a band played "Maple Leaf Forever". In the early years, runners had their own regimens: John Lindquist from Brooklyn took a commanding lead in 1907 while doing whiskey shots, but by mile 23, he was apparently falling asleep; while, the next year, the French-born Chicagoan Albert Corey had more success sipping champagne.[17] Over the years elite fields included Olympic champions, world records were continually sought, and the marathon continued to inspire Chicago communities and spectators until challenges of the early 1920s sidelined the event.[18]
It was not until the health consciousness of the 1960s that marathon growth gained traction in the public's eyes. Frank Shorter's 1972 Games of the XX Olympiadmarathon victory represented the convergence of many middle-class American ideals.[19] Then the 1976 New York City Marathon, which was the first New York City Marathon to embrace the five borough course, popularized the big city marathon.[4] Also that year, a group of runners in Chicago held a meeting at the YMCA on LaSalle Street to discuss interest and begin planning a local marathon.[3] As the New York marathon began to grow exponentially in the 1970s, the Chicago Marathon was established as a rival to the New York City Marathon.[4] By the mid-1980s, the Chicago Marathon was ensconced as one of the big four marathons.[20] During the mid-1980s, it was named America's Marathon/Chicago and opened up the way for appearance payments. Joan Benoit Samuelson described the Chicago Marathons of the mid-1980s as "The World's Marathon".[21] The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is an open race with no qualifying time to participate.[7]
The founding location of the Chicago Marathon is at 214 West Erie in River North.
The modern era Chicago Marathon was founded over the objection of Ed Kelly, Chicago Park District Superintendent who refused permission to run in the parks or along the Lake Michigan lakefront. With the help of Lee Flaherty, the event's founder who operated out of Flair House in the Near North Sidecommunity area of Chicago,[22]Chicago MayorRichard J. Daley's support for the marathon was enlisted. Although Mayor Daley died, his successor Michael Anthony Bilandic approved the race and got Kelly on board. Michael Bilandic, a runner, and his wife actually passed out medals at the first marathon on September 25, 1977. This first edition of the modern Chicago Marathon was called the Mayor Daley Marathon.[23] Flaherty footed the bill for the first race, which had no sponsors. He again footed the bill in 1978 when the race was again called the Mayor Daley Marathon. In 1979, however, Beatrice Foods became the first race sponsor.
Evans Cheruiyot follows the course car (with clock) during his 2008 victory. The lead course car carries the current race time.
In the early years the Chicago Marathon was held in August.[24] It has from its inception with 4,200 runners and 2,128 finishers been one of the nation's largest marathons. The 2000 running was second only to New York.[25] The 1979 and 1980 events, however, continued to be gatherings of amateur runners. By 1982, the race finally had sufficient prize money to attract world class athletes. The 1982 was the first with world class times such as the 2:10:59 by Greg Meyer.[19] By 1983, the Chicago Marathon had achieved its status as one of America's most important marathons. In 1984, Beatrice raised the purse to $250,000 ($50,000 more than New York's).[19] The race had become a legitimate rival to New York and continues to vie for top runners. The 1985 race was spectacular with Steve Jones breaking his own course record (2 seconds short of the world record) and Joan Benoit Samuelson the 1984 Olympic Champion, two-time defending Chicago Marathon Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist, Rosa Mota and the fourth place Olympic finisher and world record setting Ingrid Kristiansen. Benoit set a record that stood nearly a generation. At that time, it was considered the premier marathon in the United States, if not the world.[26] Although 1986 had 40 world-class runners among the 8,000 participants the times paled in comparison.[27] Beatrice dropped out as a sponsor in 1987. Because of this only a half-marathon race was held that year[6] and the marathon was moved to the spring of 1988[28] and attracted Heileman Brewing Company to sponsor the 1988 Old Style Chicago Marathon.[29] The race resulted in three women who had been passed over for the 1988 Games of the XXIV Olympiad placing in the top positions.[30] In 1991, Heileman discontinued its sponsorship and both the prize money and performances waned.[31] In 1992, the race again had no sponsorship, but 1993 brought new sponsor LaSalle Bank.[32] In 1994, the race became the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.[33] In 1996, LaSalle Bank purchased the Chicago Marathon from Major Events, Inc., who had purchased the race three years prior from Flaherty.[34][35] In 1998, the race began using transponder timing.[36] In 2001, when Catherine Ndereba broke the women's world record marathon time, both the men's and women's then-current world records had been set at the Chicago Marathon.[37]
2007 Chicago Marathon temperatures.
In 2007, Bank of America acquired LaSalle Bank's parent company ABN AMRO North America in 2007 and assumed the race's title sponsorship.[38][39] The 2007 race made history with the first ever CEO Marathon Challenge. The race featured a special competition among the CEOs, presidents, company owners and c-suite executives of companies with at least $5million in annual gross revenue ($2.5million for women).[40] The 2007 race also made history for having three (men's, women's & men's wheelchair) of its four races decided in the final 100 meters in a day of record setting heat.[41] The race was partially shut down early (after three and a half hours) as temperatures rose to an unseasonably hot 88°F (31°C), which surpassed both the temperature records for the Chicago Marathon and official Chicago records for October 7.[42] Over 10,000 registrants chose not to run in the record temperatures, while 10,934 people did not finish (many were called after the course closed early for safety).[5][41][43] One runner died, over 30 were hospitalized, and over 400 others sought medical attention. Marathon owner and sponsor Bank of America, which had just acquired LaSalle Bank, has denied culpability. Similar hot conditions have been experienced in other city center races. In 2003, London's The British 10K also had extremely hot weather that affected many runners.[43][44]
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronaviruspandemic, with all registrants given the option of either transferring their entry to 2021, 2022, or 2023, or obtaining a full refund.[45][46]
In 2024, Sebastian Coe president of World Athletics, presented the Chicago Marathon with the World Athletics Heritage Plaque, saying: "The Chicago Marathon has an illustrious world record history . . . Coupled with a marathon history in the city dating back to 1905, the Chicago Marathon thoroughly deserves the heritage plaque which recognizes an outstanding contribution to the history and development of road running."[3]
Course
Chicago Marathon start/finish in Grant Park, October 2006
The marathon course is a loop course, starting and ending at Grant Park. From there, the current course winds through 29 of the city's neighborhoods.[47] The course loop can be generally divided into three sections: North, West, and South. In each of these sections, three of the city's main stadiums are near the course's turning points: Wrigley Field to the north; the United Center to the west; and Rate Field to the south. The city's fourth professional stadium, Soldier Field, is located near the start/finish area.
Runners are supported by over 12,000 volunteers[48] spread throughout the course including at 20 aid stations[49] located approximate every 1–3 miles.[50] For runners in distress, aid station volunteers include medical staff and ambulatory services are scattered throughout the course.
Digital timers are positioned every 5 kilometers, as well as the halfway point.
Runner statistics
Chicago Marathon Finishers (2000–present) Total finishers and by gender
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has grown significantly from its beginnings. In 1905, 20 runners registered for the first Chicago Marathon, 15 actually started the race, and 7 finished.[18] For the first "modern" marathon race in 1977, 4,200 people took part.[55] In 1995, 9,000 people registered, and in 1999, over 29,000 people registered. The 2001 marathon run on October 7 reached its cap of 37,500, which was instituted after the 2000 race drew 33,171 runners,[56] just prior to the entry deadline on September 19.[57] In 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 it reached its cap of 40,000.[4][58] The October 10, 2004, October 9, 2005 and October 22, 2006 races reached their 40,000 entrant caps on August 16, July 14, and May 26 respectively.[58][59][60] On April 18, 2007, the 2007 race run on October 7 reached its cap of 45,000 entrants.[61] There was a late registration exemption whereby elite runners (marathon times of less than 2:31/3:01 or half marathon times of 1:11/1:21 for (men/women)) could register until September 1 even though the race had reached its registration cap in the spring.[62] The 40,000 registrants and 33,000 finishers in 2003 made the Chicago Marathon the third or fourth largest marathon depending on which metric (registrants or finishers) is used.[63]
The Chicago Marathon has never excluded women. Historically, however, the women's field has been smaller than the men's. This seems to be the result of older age categories having large multiples of men to women, but the women are beginning to outnumber the men in the 20s age group of the field.[64]
Records
World records have been broken at Chicago seven times. In 1984, Steve Jones broke the world record with 2:08:05.[65] In 1999, Khalid Khannouchi was the first to surpass 2:06:00 with 2:05:42.[65]
The men's course record was broken in the 2013 race by Dennis Kimetto with a time of 2:03:45.[66] On October 8, 2023, the late Kelvin Kiptum set a new world record, and therefore also the Chicago course record, completing the course in 2:00:35.[67]
The women's record was broken in two consecutive years. In 2001, Catherine Ndereba broke the record in 2:18:47, and Paula Radcliffe surpassed that mark with 2:17:18 the year after. In 2019, Brigid Kosgei won in a world record time of 2:14:04, which was surpassed in 2023 by Sifan Hassan setting a new course record of 2:13:44.[68] The next year, in 2024, Ruth Chepng'etich broke the women's world record again with a time of 2:09:56.[69][70]
Economic impact
Much of the marathon's impact is derived from the tourism industry. More than 10,000 of the runners in 2010 indicated that it was their first visit to Chicago. Of that, 6,000 came from 100 countries. Due to the travelers, the event increases hotel occupancy rates during the marathon. According to an independent study by the University of Illinois, the 2015 marathon contributed an estimated US$277million worth of activity to the Chicago economy, equivalent to 1,948 jobs.[71]
Charity program
Since the charity program was officially established in 2002, more than 106,000 runners have raised over $207million for local, national and global causes.[72]
Charity fundraising is now closely intertwined with the event as the runners now raise money for research, aid the suffering and heighten public awareness of different causes.[73] The marathon offers all registered entrants the opportunity to fundraise for a charity partner. The marathon recognizes four levels of charities based on the number of participants recruited, and fundraising levels.[74]
Runners can also opt out of the public lottery or obtain a guaranteed place after this has been drawn by choosing to run for an official charity. The 2016 event had over 170 charity partners, and raised more than US$16.9million.[75]
The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, England. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held in April, although it moved to October for 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The largely flat course is set around the River Thames, starting in Blackheath and finishing at The Mall. Hugh Brasher is the current race director and Nick Bitel its chief executive.
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42 km 195 m, usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. More than 800 marathons are held worldwide each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes, as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world's best-known road racing events. It is one of seven World Marathon Majors. Its course runs from Hopkinton in southern Middlesex County to Copley Square in Boston.
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 in that race for 28 years. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
The Los Angeles Marathon is an annual running event typically held each spring in Los Angeles, California, since 1986. The marathon was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games hosted in Los Angeles, and has become one of the largest marathons in the country, with more than 25,000 participants, thousands of volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Deena Michelle Kastor is an American long-distance runner. She was a holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. She won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She is also an eight-time national champion in cross country.
Ryan Hall is a retired American long-distance runner who holds the U.S. record in the half marathon. With his half marathon record time (59:43), he became the first U.S. runner to break the one-hour barrier in the event. He is also the only American to run a sub-2:05 marathon. However, this time is not eligible to be a record due to the course being point-to-point and a net-downhill course. Hall won the marathon at the 2008 United States Olympic trials and placed tenth in the Olympic marathon in Beijing.
Adriana Nelson, née Pirtea is a Romanian American long-distance runner who competes in distances up to the marathon. She competed at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships for Romania, then at the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships for the United States. At national level, she won six long-distance track titles at the Romanian Athletics Championships and was the 2013 winner at the USA Half Marathon Championships.
The Gate River Run (GRR), formerly known as the Jacksonville River Run, is an annual 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) road running event in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has functioned as the US National Championship 15K since 1994, and in 2007 became the largest 15K race in the country. It "was voted [as] one of the top US Road Races for last 20 years by Runner's World Magazine." Local news media describe it as "one of Jacksonville's premiere annual events."
The Women's Mini Marathon is an annual 10k event, which takes place every June bank holiday Sunday on the streets of Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest women's event of its kind in the world, and is the largest one-day charity fundraising event in Ireland. The event, which is currently sponsored by Irish insurance company Vhi Healthcare, celebrated its 40th event in 2022.
The 2010 Chicago Marathon was the 33rd running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States, held on Sunday, October 10. Over 38,000 runners took part, the most in the race's history.
The Great Scottish Run is a series of mass-participation road running events, held annually in the streets of Glasgow, Scotland in October. The event began as a full marathon in 1979, but later changed to a weekend of shorter events. The weekend now includes short events for children, a 10K roadrace, and a half marathon. The 2013 event, which was sponsored by the Bank of Scotland, featured over 30,000 competitors. It is the largest mass-participation sporting event in Scotland.
The 2018 Chicago Marathon was the 41st edition of the Chicago Marathon, an annual marathon race that is held in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The race took place on the morning of October 7, 2018 in wet conditions, with a total of 44,584 runners completing. Britain's Mo Farah won the men's race, having gapped second placed Mosinet Geremew towards the end of the race, to take his only World Marathon Major win, in a European record time of 2:05:11. The women's race was won by Kenya's Brigid Kosgei in a personal best time of 2:18:35, nearly three minutes ahead of the next finisher. The men's wheelchair races came down to a sprint finish, which was won by Daniel Romanchuk, with Marcel Hug a second behind, while the women's race was won by Manuela Schär.
Don Janicki is an American long-distance runner.
The 2019 Chicago Marathon was the 42nd annual running of the Chicago Marathon held in Chicago, Illinois, United States on October 13, 2019. The men's race was won by Kenyan Lawrence Cherono in 2:05:45 while the women's was won by Kenyan Brigid Kosgei in 2:14:04, a world record by 81 seconds. The men's and women's wheelchair races were won by Daniel Romanchuk and Manuela Schär in 1:30:26 and 1:41:08, respectively. More than 45,000 runners completed the race.
The 1991 Chicago Marathon was the 14th running of the annual marathon race in Chicago, United States and was held on October 27. The elite men's race was won by Brazil's Joseildo da Silva in a time of 2:14:33 hours and the women's race was won by Sweden's Midde Hamrin in 2:36:21.
Elaine Van Blunk is an American long-distance runner who finished third at the 1994 Chicago Marathon. She was the 1989 winner of the 3000 meters at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships, and finished seventh in the 10,000 meters event at the 1991 Pan American Games.
The 25K run is a long distance running footrace that is between the distance of a half marathon and a marathon. It was formerly an official world record distance in road running by World Athletics, but has since been downgraded to world best status. Separately, the Association of Road Racing Statisticians retains world records in the 25K distance. The ARRS holds different standards for records than World Athletics, with exclusions for certain point-to-point races and mixed sex races. As a result its women's world record is 1:26:34 by Nancy Conz, set in 1982.
The 2022 Chicago Marathon was the 44th edition of the annual marathon race in Chicago, held on Sunday, October 9, 2022. An Elite Platinum Label marathon, it was the third of four World Marathon Majors events to be held over the span of six weeks. More than 40,000 runners were expected to take part in the event.
↑ Bannon, Tim; Rumore, Kori (October 11, 2019). "Chicago Marathon 2019". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
1 2 "2019 Media Guide"(PDF). Bank of America Chicago Marathon. October 13, 2019. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
↑ "2018 Media Guide"(PDF). Bank of America Chicago Marathon. October 7, 2018. Archived(PDF) from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
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2024 Chicago Marathon 
