Results tagged “chicagomarathon”

              

Yesterday's Bank of America Chicago Marathon saw Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru set a course record of 2:05:41 and Russia's Liliya Shobukhova was the top woman finisher. In addition to the standard prize money for winning, Wanjiru also pocketed a $100,000 bonus for setting the course record -- but that almost didn't happen. Not aware of his record-setting pace or the bonus at stake, he waved to the crowd during the final stretch and ended up surpassing the old mark by a single second.

The crisp, clear weather this morning was perfect for the 40,000-plus runners participating in this year's Chicago Marathon. As we write this, several thousand runners are still out on the course so watch out for those road closures which continue until mid-afternoon. But it didn't take long for the elite runners to cross the finish time. One, in fact, did so in record time. Kenya's Samuel Wanjiru blazed the course with a time of 2:05:41, breaking the course record by one second and capturing the men's title. Russia's Liliya Shobukhova had an impressive race of her own to take the women's title with a final time of 2:25:56. Shobukhova had an impressive split, running the second half of the race almost six minutes faster than the first. She was locked in a group of four runners late in the race but around the 25th mile, she surged away from the pack to claim the title. We'll have more on the race, including more photos, tomorrow. If you've got some you'd like to share, be sure to drop them off at the Chicagoist Flickr Pool. And a big congrats to everyone who participated in this morning's race!

Today is the final day in the Red Cross of Greater Chicago's "footprints" fundraising campaign. The Red Cross is working with Chicago Marathon presenting sponsor Bank of America on the campaign in which donors can design digital "footprints" that will run on the Marathon's main website. bank of America will donate $1 to a charity of each donors choosing.

For an estimated 45,000 runners, months of training will culminate with the 32nd running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which will begin at 7:30am in Grant Park Sunday morning. The 26.2 mile race snakes through 29 of our city's neighborhoods, from the Loop north to Wrigleyville; looping back south and west through University Village, Little Italy, Chinatown and Bridgeport; before hitting the finish line back in Grant Park. The urban course creates an amazing tour of Chicago for the runners, while also being spectator friendly: over 1.5 million people are expected to stand on the sidelines cheering on friends, family or strangers. The marathon website offers spectator info. While the past two years have seen high temps create problems for runners, this year's race forecast calls for cool and rainy, with a high of about 50 degrees.

After being hit by a drunk driver several years ago, David Kuhn of DeKalb, a devoted runner, slowly began losing his eyesight. He is now legally blind and needs a guide with him when he runs. When his sighted guide for the Chicago Marathon next weekend had to cancel, Kuhn's plans were derailed, and he told NBC Chicago, "I went into full panic mode."

Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly

Race officials and runners alike are keeping a wary eye on Sunday's weather forecast after last year's heat-plagued race in which more than 300 people were treated for heat exhaustion and one man even died. Officials claimed they turned back participants who had not reached the half-way point by 3.5 hours into the race while allowing the rest to finish [not true as I and several other runners were herded back to the Start Line in spite of being well past the half-way point, but I digress...] because of the extreme temperatures and ridonkulous lack of water and Gatorade. As of this afternoon, the National Weather Service is predicting sunny skies and a high of around 76.

This Sunday, 45,000 people from across the globe will be racing through our streets in the annual Chicago Marathon. (Keep your fingers crossed the weather stays cool so everyone will have the chance to actually finish the 26.2 mile race this year). Since food is always on our mind we go to thinking- what do participants eat to prepare for such a physically taxing experience?

A marketing slip-up in the merger of two large corporations can cause customers to feel angry and betrayed, especially when a company with local ties is being overtaken by a national company. We saw this with the Macy’s corporate take-over of Marshall Field’s, which some are calling this decade’s “New Coke” of marketing disasters.

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle closed off registration on Monday after reaching its 30,000 runner capacity. The event, now in its 29th year, is the kickoff to the outdoor running season and is Sunday, March 30; it includes both an 8K run and a 5K fitness walk.

Were the mother and son who were shot in Gary the victims of a car-jacking--or a domestic dispute?

The Sun-Times giveth, and the Sun-Times taketh away. How great: a list of 10 inspiring women of 2007! Wait a second...Jennifer Love Hewitt and the beauty queen who thinks we don't have maps? Come on. And what exactly do Paige Wiser and Lisa Donovan mean when they say that Laila Ali "redefined our idea of a female athlete"? [S-T]

Add to the preparations plan for future marathons: Hand out more maps and make sure emergency personnel use them.

By now you've heard about the hottest ever Chicago Marathon, yesterday’s brutal event that claimed one life, brought ambulances to more than 300, and overwhelmed race organizers and emergency personnel. The initial stories about the fatality and the difficult decision to cut the race short, dashing the hopes of thousands of first-timers, have overshadowed the larger story about race organizers failing their own endurance test. Shrugging off the 2007 race as a once-in-a-lifetime snafu obscures...

Patrick Ivuti of Kenya won today's running of the Chicago Marathon in a photo finish over Moroccan Jaouad Gharib. Both runners crossed the finish line at the same time, but Ivuti crossed 5/100th of a second before Gharib. But Ivuti's win, and Ethiopian Berhane Adere's defense of her women's title, were secondary stories to the decision by race officials to cut short the race due to the dangers they posed to participants by unseasonably warm...

That steady wailing sound you may have heard this morning is 45,000 runners freaking out about Sunday’s forecast. For the 30th Chicago Marathon, Tom Skilling is promising record heat with a generous dollop of humidity. Runners, it’s time to dig deep and summon the strength that got you through that 14-mile training run in August or that sweaty half-marathon you conquered last month. To the thousands who fear death or worse this weekend, we say:...

The 30th running of the Chicago Marathon is just twenty days away. There are 45,000 runners that are preparing to compete in the 26.2-mile run.

This weekend marks a crucial point for the 45,000 registered LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Participants. Six weeks out, runners begin their six-week taper that will build up to the event on Sunday, October 7. Most runners will train for 18 weeks or more, so staying motivated is often one of the greatest challenges to participating in a marathon. Now in its 30th year, race organizers have launched a new Web site to help motivate and...

Registration for the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has been closed after enrolling 45,000 racers, 5,000 more than raced in last year's race. Those 45,000 racers have just over five months to prepare for this year's marathon as it will be run on Sunday, October 7, 2007. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Marathon, a race that has grown from just 4,200 runners in its inaugural year to 45,000 this year. It is...

"Suet...not just for birds anymore.." via photoshopabuser.

Rarely do we have a little extra cash around, but with the weather being how it's been we have managed to save money that would otherwise have been spent at a beer garden. What to do with the extra cash? How about drinking and running for a good cause? We thought we'd highlight a few charitable events coming up this month that are sure to put a benevolent smile on your face. The AIDS Marathon...

In 2006 the number of deaths by fire, bank robberies and murders were all up. The Jazz Showcase had a final NYE show, and now they're closed for good. New Yorkers don't care about Chicago's popcorn. You knew this was going to happen, right? Lawsuits were filed in the Ogilvie shooting. The Sun-Times and the Trib are cutting the stuff no one looks at. Andersonville was picked as one of the country's greenest urban...

Halloween is Tuesday, which means this weekend is really the time for all of the –ists to celebrate. And whether they're designing super-spooky costumes or talking about the super-spooky upcoming elections, we'd say that they're doing a fine job of it. Austinist knows that few things in life are scarier than zombies, people with way too much money, and politicians who try too hard to be funny. Slightly less scary, depending on whom you...

The Chicago Marathon winner Robert K. Cheruiyot of Kenya was released from the hospital yesterday and participated in a championship ceremony and press conference. As Cheruiytot crossed the finish line on Sunday, he lost his footing on a slippery Chicago Marathon decal placed on the ground just prior to the finish line. He won the race by just five seconds over countryman Daniel Njenga. Despite his fall, he plans on returning to Chicago in 2007 to defend his title. Chicagoist expects the marathon to be buying a few "Slippery When Wet" signs to greet Cheruiyot at the finish next year.

It takes a certain type of person to have the dedication to train and compete in a marathon. It never ceases to amaze Chicagoist how many people not only prepare themselves to compete but also come to entertain. During the 2006 running of the Chicago Marathon we saw many a familiar face. We saw Fred and Wilma Flintstone, a Knight (hard to discern if he was saying "Ni" as he ran past), crazy chicken head man, patriots, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, superheroes, she-devils, several Elvi, and even Da Coach. Chicagoist has decided in a game featuring Ditka versus the Marathon, the winner would definitely be Ditka.

Even though we are to have remnants of a typhoon today, it looks pretty decent out. We know, since there is no Bears game you will be watching the Chicago Marathon online (we clicked on one of the video links, pretty boring stuff.) Those things will be winding down early enough in the day to catch some of these events. As always, feel free to add events in the comments section.

Forty thousand runners are making their final preparations for the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Chicagoist thought it would be fun to learn more about the people making up this bunch.

Chicagoist’s love-hate relationship with the CTA continues unabated, but even we feel sorry for Frank and Co. as it’s mostly bad news this week. NBC – 5 reported that more than five dozen CTA passengers affected by the Blue Line derailment last July filed lawsuits against the agency. The CTA is not admitting liability despite the accident occurring on its train, which was traveling over its tracks in its tunnel. We’ll be curious to see...

On Sunday, approximately 1.5 million spectators will be searching to find one or two of their friends who are hidden among the 40,000 competitors in the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Finding your friend, family member, or colleague that is running the marathon can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Luckily there are a few tools that will help you track runners throughout the 26.2-mile course. Each runner will have a chip on...

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Whatever your sport, if you plan to complete 90 minutes or more of high-intensity exercise, carbo-loading (carbohydrate loading) may improve your performance." Many marathoners will be sure to concentrate 60-70 percent of their diet on carbohydrates the days or weeks before the Chicago Marathon to increase their store of fuel for the big race.