The Chicago Marathon is widely recognized as one of the best and largest marathons in the world. It is one of five cities, along with Boston, London, Berlin and New York, that make up the World Marathon Majors, dedicated to advancing the sport among elite racers. Usually held in mid-October, the Chicago Marathon's field is now limited to 45,000 runners. It is not unusual for 1.5 million spectators to pack the streets of the Windy City to watch the event.
The First Race
The Boston Marathon had established an annual 26.2 mile run in 1897. Soon after that, on Sept. 23, 1905, the Illinois Athletic Club organized the first Chicago marathon. That first race, with 15 runners, began in Evanston and finished at Chicago's Washington Park. In a surprising upset, spectators watched Rhud Metzner come from behind in an amazing late-race move to nab the win from favored Louis Marks.
Laying the Groundwork
By the 1920s, the economic conditions sidelined the Chicago Marathon. It wasn't until the 1970s, when running began to become popular, that the marathon returned. In May 1977, Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic decided to try to make Chicago into a world-famous city for runners. To show he meant business, Bilandic turned five miles of an old horse path along Lake Michigan into jogging paths, creating a scenic course that today stretches for 18 miles.
A Fresh Start
The Chicago Marathon now recognizes its first race--the Mayor Daley Marathon, named after the late Richard J. Daley--as being held on Sept. 25, 1977. Initially set up with a $5 entry fee and an 8 a.m. starting time, the race required 700 volunteers to officiate and help guide the more than 4,200 runners who turned out.
Drama
Throughout the years, the Chicago Marathon has seen some exciting race finishes. One of the most famous and dramatic happened in 2006, when Robert K. Cheruiyot, a runner from Kenya, slipped just before breaking through the finish-line tape. He fell down onto his back, hitting his head on the pavement and causing a concussion. As he fell, he slid forward, pushing his timing chip over the finish line and making him the winner.
One Hot Race
In 2007, the 30th anniversary of the Chicago Marathon and the end of a 14-year sponsorship by LaSalle Bank, the race started with 36,000-plus entrants. As temperatures on the early October day soared into the 80s and humidity rose, organizers were forced to halt the race after three and a half hours, for the first time in history. For their own safety, runners were sent to Grant Park and instructed to stop racing. Only 25,534 were able to officially finish the race.
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