FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inspiring People and Stories Behind the 2023
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
CHICAGO, IL - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon returns on Sunday,
October 8, 2023, for the 45th running of one of the world's most iconic
road races, and it promises to be historic in athleticism, inspiration and
milestones.
This year, participants from around the world, all walks of life and all
levels of skill are running for themselves, their family members and their
communities. The inspiring stories of those taking on 26.2-miles in Chicago
make each year's race special, and this year will be no different. One of
the deepest and most decorated professional athlete lineups in the event's
history will lead the way on race day. Following in the footsteps of the
front runners, more than 47,000 participants will make up one of the race's
largest finisher fields, which will include the event's millionth finisher
- both extraordinary milestones and a testament to the race's significance
and global popularity.
From athletes breaking barriers and records to those running for a cause,
below is a collection of the unique stories and ‘whys' from the 2023 Bank
of America Chicago Marathon participant field.
NEW IN 2023
- The 2023 Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Championships
will be held as a part of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday,
October 8, with 2,700 top age group runners from across the world vying for
podium positions in their respective age categories. One of these
participants is 60-year-old Jenny Hitchings from Sacramento, CA. Jenny has
run 33 marathons and hopes to break the American record, if not the World
Record, as she enters a new age category this year. She already holds five
American Records and a World Best for her age group (60-64).
- Twenty-six couples will dash to the altar race weekend during Weddings At
WrigleyTM: A World of Love on Saturday, October 7. Each couple will have a
connection to Sunday's race with one or both individuals signed up to
participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon the following day. The
once-in-a-lifetime marriage ceremonies will take place between 11:30 a.m.
and 3:30 p.m. CDT underneath the iconic Wrigley Building Bridge (410 N.
Michigan Avenue).
- The inaugural Bank of America Chicago Distance Series culminates at the
Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Participants who completed the Bank of
America Shamrock Shuffle 8K in March, the Bank of America Chicago 13.1 in
June and the Chicago Marathon will receive a unique medal and a guaranteed
entry into the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Paula Gutierrez and Veronica
Laureano, members of the Windrunners, a Chicago-based all-female racing
team, have completed both the 8K and half marathon, and upon their finish
in Grant Park on October 8, will be among the first Chicago Distance Series
finishers.
- The Bank of America Chicago Marathon introduced the opportunity for
individuals in the mass participation race to register as non-binary in
2022 and celebrated 41 finishers in the new division. This year, the
non-binary division has seen meaningful growth with more than 130 runners
registered to participate. Participants in this year's division include Cal
Calamia, the 2022 division second place finisher, sports activist, and
founder of Non-Binary+ Run Club; Jake Fedorowski, a non-binary inclusion
advocate and Executive Director of Queer Running Society; and Justin Solle,
the Race Director for the NYRR FRNY Pride Run who has the goal to be the
first non-binary person to run all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
- The 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will feature the deepest and
most-decorated professional athlete fields in race history, including all
four 2022 race champions. The full professional field roster can be viewed
here.
- Since 1977, over 960,000 participants have crossed the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon finish line. This year's field of more than 47,000
participants will help the event to make history as we welcome the
millionth finisher across the line in Grant Park. Throughout race weekend
the event will celebrate past finishers who helped to reach this milestone,
as well as announce the 2023 participant who will push the event past the
millionth finisher mark on race day.
NOTABLE RUNNERS
- Chris Nikic is an American amateur triathlete. In 2020, at age 21, he
became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon.
As a part of the Runner 321 Movement, Chris will wear bib #321 to represent
trisomy 21, the medical term for Down syndrome. In 2023, the events that
comprise the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series made a commitment to
reserve bib #321 for a neurodivergent athlete moving forward.
- Monica Puig, former professional tennis player and ESPN commentator, is
the first-ever Puerto Rican to win an Olympic Gold Medal. Monica is an
Abbott World Marathon Major Six Star hopeful, and the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon will mark her fourth star.
- Lauren Ridloff is an actress and Executive Producer. Lauren's meteoric
rise as an actor began five years ago, but prior to that, she won the title
of Miss Deaf America and was a kindergarten teacher in Manhattan for almost
a decade. Last year, she participated in the TCS New York City Marathon,
which was her first marathon. She is excited to return to her hometown to
run her second marathon.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
- Joelle Barenek, Lemont, IL: Joelle's Bank of America Chicago Marathon
journey started as a volunteer at a water station while fulfilling
community service hours. Inspired by the runners she was supporting, she
decided to give running a try and now calls herself a marathoner. She has
completed both the Chicago and Boston Marathons and is excited to compete
once again this year on the streets of Chicago.
- Nicole Bubolz, Largo, FL - Nicole is proof it's never too late to build
on a new passion, as the mother of nine children (three single and three
sets of twins) makes her Bank of America Chicago Marathon debut. After
picking up running 15 years ago to lose weight, Chicago will be her third
marathon where all nine of her children will be waiting to celebrate with
her following her finish.
- Mary Ellen Clifford, Chicago, IL - Inspired by Executive Race Director
Carey Pinkowski's speech at the high school where she coached cross
country, Mary Ellen has now run seven marathons and will be running with
her three daughters at this year's race.
- Kassoum Doumbia, Chicago, IL - When Kassoum, a member of the Black
Chicago Runners club, moved to Chicago, he was a spectator at the Bank of
America Chicago Marathon and used his skills as a photographer to capture
photos of Black participants throughout the 26.2-mile race. Since then,
Kassoum has found a sense of community with other fitness enthusiasts in
Chicago, and he is excited to move from the sidelines to the participant
field for this year's event.
- Joe Drake, Seattle, WA - Joe plans to run all six Abbott World Marathon
Majors in 2023. Joe was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2018 and
learned that vigorous exercise slows the progression. He ran his first
marathon at 58 and has since done 16 marathons, raising more than $500,000
for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
- Quinn Fuechsl, Chicago, IL - As one of the brewers at Goose Island
Brewery, Quinn knows the strong relationship runners have with beer,
especially in Chicago. This year, he'll get his own 312 Wheat Ale
commemorative finisher can to go with his Bank of America Chicago Marathon
medal. Quinn is one of several other Goose Island employees participating
this year.
- Juan Hernandez, Chicago, IL - Juan makes his Bank of America Chicago
Marathon debut with an incredible weight loss story: he started at 400
pounds and is now down to 180 pounds. He runs with Chicago-area run clubs
Viento Little Village Run Club and 7onSundays.
- Ismat Khimani, Crystal Lake, IL - Ismat emigrated to the United States
from Pakistan in 1984 and while always interested in health and wellness,
running wasn't a part of her culture growing up and she didn't begin
running until she was in her forties and completed her first marathon in
2013. Now, at 56, she plans to run three marathons this year. She has been
a Financial Advisor at Merrill for the past 25 years.
- Peter Kline, Bellevue, WA - At the age of 71, Peter, a senior vice
president at Merrill, has not only run more than 100 marathons but has also
completed more than 60 of those with “rider athletes,” giving people with
disabilities the chance to experience the thrill of crossing a marathon
finish line. This year, Peter is once again running with rider athlete
Peter Ruiz, a Chicagoan with spina bifida.
- Bruce Konstant, Chicago, IL - Along with being the Official Starter of
the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (this year marks the second time!),
Bruce is a longtime runner, five-time marathon runner (in 1986 he ran a
2:45 marathon), eight-year veteran of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Officiating Crew and 17-year employee of Bank of America.
- Liliana Martin, Chicago, IL - Liliana was diagnosed with an aggressive
form of bladder cancer while training for the 2022 Bank of America Chicago
Marathon. One year later, she's in remission and feeling strong and ready
to run again to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.
- Peng Ratchaworapong, Honolulu, HI - Tata Consultancy Services celebrates
the transformational impact of teachers in the lives of their students and
in their communities through their Team TCS Teachers program. This year,
Peng is running for his students, especially girls who are interested in
computer science and engineering; he's passionate about inspiring them to
believe that nothing is impossible. After running the TCS New York City
Marathon in 2022, he's excited to get his second Abbott World Marathon
Major Star in Chicago.
- Paul Robinson, Chicago, IL - Paul works for Chicago CRED, a gun violence
prevention organization, to work directly with gang-involved young men and
women who are deemed to be at high risk to shoot or be shot. Paul runs as a
form of meditation to process his day, ones that are often filled with
trauma.
- EJ Scott, Los Angeles, CA - EJ runs blindfolded due to an eye disease
that is causing him to go blind. He has run 15 marathons, 8 half marathons,
and on all 7 continents, fundraising for various blindness-related
charities.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes thousands of participants
from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a world-class
elite field, top regional and Masters runners, race veterans, debut
marathoners and charity participants. The race's iconic course takes
participants through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and
cultural tour of Chicago. The 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a
member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant
Park on Sunday, October 8, 2023. In advance of the race, a three-day Abbott
Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on
Thursday, October 5, Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7. For more
information about the event and how to get involved, go to
chicagomarathon.com.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other
important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for
news email alerts.
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