Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon
The Chicago marathon is currently sponsored by LaSalle Bank and is considered one of the five World Major Marathons. It does not have a qualifying time but a runner must finish within 6 ½ hours to be officially timed. Only 45,000 runners may participate and it is first come, first serve. The Chicago Marathon by Andrew Suozzo holds a detailed history of the race. Many local, national and even world charities have encouraged sponsored participation in the Chicago marathon. Since 1995 the marathon has grown significantly. In the last few years the entry cap, total number of racers allowed, has been reached well before the date of the race.
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Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon
The official Web site of the Chicago marathon provides a wealth of resources for participants. It allows people to register, find accommodations and even helps to book travel. The most important aspects to the potential participant are that they provide a course map as well as information on training programs. The LaSalle Bank Health and Fitness Expo, held at the McCormick Convention Center, is open to the public. There are over 100 exhibitors displaying new products in the health and fitness field. The Expo is held for the two days before the actual marathon. There are also start corrals for the Chicago marathon. Each corral has a time qualification and the top 100 has the most demanding qualifying time. These corrals allow for a smooth start to the race and proof is presented in form of a race certificate from a previous marathon or half marathon. The Chicago marathon above many other events attracts many different types of people. Oprah Winfrey has run the marathon and officially finished with a time of 4 hours 6 minutes.
Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon
The Chicago half marathon is a separate event from the Chicago marathon. It is named as one of the top 10 half marathons in the United States, according to Runner’s World magazine. In 2007 an official training program was sponsored by the Chicago Roadrunners, a popular running group, led by Olympian Rod Dixon. The official site of the Chicago half marathon offers many of the same features of the Chicago marathon’s Web site. It includes a merchandise section that features shirts and hats with the logo of the half marathon. The course of the half marathon runs along the eastern edge of Chicago near Lake Michigan. It starts and ends in the same place near Jackson Park only a few blocks away from the University of Chicago.
