The Chicago's Marathon

1/24/14                                                                                                                                   Johnny Garcia Villanueva

Chicago’s Marathon

1. First marathon

In September 23, 1905 the Chicago Tribune article published:

"Chicago's first marathon is to be held this afternoon under the auspices of the new Illinois Athletic Club, ... It is claimed that the field is made up of the best group of men gathered together for a [marathon] in this country, and officials of the Illinois Athletic Club think the Marathon record ... will be broken"

Some 20 runners were expected to start. The site of the start of the race was the Evanston Golf Club. The marathon course ran eastward toward Lake Michigan, then southbound along the lake to Grant Park, and the further south to finish in the Washington Park horse-racing track.

2. Classic Era

The classic era for Chicago Marathons extended from first running in 1905 into the early 1920s.

3. Modern Era

Since its first running in 1905, Chicago’s marathon has inspired hundreds of thousands of people. A banner (In which is written the following: YOU INSPIRE US), placed on the Randolph Street overpass, greets every one of nearly 40,000 runners who start the Chicago Marathon each year

4. The Journey

The point of the journey is not just to finish; it is to get the most out of the experience. This is what Chicago’s marathon looks like from the runner’s perspective, from start to finish, the entire 26.2-mile race

5. Spirit of Chicago

When the Chicago Marathon was revived in 1977, organizers had a vision that it would be the “People’s Marathon.”  And indeed it has been all about  the people. 450,000 runners have finished the race since 1905: 45,000 register to participate and 1.5 million spectators watch the race from Chicago’s streets each year.