The Chicago Marathon

10-08-2017

Nothing says fall like  The Bank of America Chicago Marathon . Every year on a crisp Sunday morning in early October the sound of thousands of feet hitting the pavement can be heard, it’s rhythmic and soothing, and can only mean one thing. The race has begun.


Running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is the peak of accomplishment for elite athletes and ordinary runners alike. On race day, runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries will set out to accomplish a triumph by reaching the finish line in Grant Park.



Uniquely, Chicago as a city acts as the course for this race. Participants weave through Chicago’s colorful neighborhoods, each one greeting them in a unique fashion. From fun signs, music, and noisemakers the cheers can be heard for miles. The smiles are infectious and the encouragement electric, it’s marvelous to witness.


Cheer & Track


There’s nothing better than tradition, so we suggest you make a day of it. Gather your friends and family, design some spiffy signs, dress up, bring your cowbells and get ready to cheer. The Chicago Marathon makes tracking a runner, simple. The Chicago Marathon gives family and friends the ability to follow their favorite athletes via the Bank of America Chicago Marathon app and the marathon’s website.


The Marathon app, available on the Apple  App Store  and  Google Play , allows you to track runners in real time and see predicted splits for up to 20 runners. It also provides live weather updates, an interactive course map, and a live NBC broadcast feed of the race.


If you don’t want to download the app you can track runners live via the  Chicago Marathon website . Spectators can view the race leaderboard with real-time updates and runner splits every 5K. U, users can search runners by name and bib number.



You may not make it to all 29 Chicago neighborhoods, but popping up in multiple locations is certainly possible.



Run, Watch, Brunch 


You’ve either crossed the finish line of the 26.2-mile course or spent the m orning cheering. Either way, you’ll be famished. So, make a day of it and head to brunch/lunch. Many local restaurants extend their brunch hours specifically for race day. The Chicago Tribune/RedEye released  this article  just the other day, with route friendly options. We might also suggest heading to China Town for some cheering and Dim Sum. Our personal favorite is  Phoenix Restaurant , where rather than ordering off a menu, servers roam the dining room pushing carts of delicious treats. It’s the perfect ending to a cheer filled Sunday.



So, You Want to Run?


It happens to everyone, you watch the runners and you feel inspired. “I can do that!” rings over and over in your mind. Heck, you may have contemplated joining the race as you watched! Ok, ok that may be a little out there, you’re clearly more reasonable than that, and believe in moderate motivation. In all fairness, running a marathon isn’t just something you do. It takes time and training, and while it may seem a bit daunting, it can be done. Most training plans call for 16 to 20 weeks of training. You’ll run three to five (or more) times per week, and your weekly mileage total will progressively increase as you get closer to race day. We’d love to provide you with a simple list of steps, but sadly it’s a bit more complex than that.  This article  from  Runner’s World  thoroughly breaks down the process, providing key information and necessary knowledge.


Share by: