The Chicago Marathon



We gathered at The Daley Plaza Center in downtown Chicago. The time was 7:15 am and the weather was clear and partly sunny that chilly October morning. 9,000 runners along with dignitaries and the Chicago Municipal Band. This was a big event – the fourth largest marathon in the world, and one of the six World Marathon Majors.



Today, the race has as many as 50,000 runners, but when I ran the Chicago Marathon in 1989 there were closer to nine thousand participants. After a few speeches the band started playing. As the starting gunshot drew nearer, the runners lined up about 20 abreast and prepared for the start. Just before the starting gun went off, hundreds of helium-filled colorful balloons were released into the blue sky above. What a sight it was!



The opening shot was fired and the race had begun. The runners were lined up according to our qualifying times and I was a little over half way back in the pack. This was by far the most interesting and exciting race I had ever run out of all the 26.2 mile marathons I successfully completed.



What was most interesting to me was running through all the ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago –Greek, Little Italy, Chinatown, Mexican Pilsen, Polish downtown, and ending up in the German neighborhood of Lincoln Park. Each neighborhood had its unique sights, sounds and aromas. Some race aficionados cooked their local cuisine, while the children stood along the race route to swipe our hands as we ran by. Also, we ran past world-famous Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs professional baseball team. It was all very fascinating.



The race finish line was in Lincoln Park. Lots of excitement as each runner crossed the line and was greeted by family and friends. My eldest daughter hugged me and gave me a big kiss after the race, then we sat down and enjoyed the refreshments provided by the race volunteers. Afterwards, my daughter and I walked toward downtown where we were staying. On the way we stopped in at the Hard Rock Cafe for a light lunch before heading on to the apartment provided by my company.



This was a marathon trip I will always remember – a truly unforgettable experience in Chicago, Illinois.