A record-breaking 54,581 runners crossed the finish line during the 48th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon, held on Sunday, Oct. 11.
The Chicago Marathon begins and ends in Grant Park and is known for its flat course. The 26.2-mile loop stretches through 29 different Chicago neighborhoods.
This marathon is typically a source of personal bests for runners, though tough conditions made this year’s race difficult. Temperatures were unusually high, reaching the mid-70s.
However, Chicago’s city views and energetic support from onlookers kept spirits high. There were an estimated 1.7 million spectators in attendance cheering on the runners, said Abbott World Marathon Majors.
“It was super cool seeing the entire city come together,” Charles De May, a senior at Northwestern said. “It felt super vibrant and unifying.”
The race brought together runners from all 50 states and 130 countries.
Among the top runners were Amos Kipruto of Kenya, who won the men’s open division with a time of 2:01:09, and Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia, who won the women’s open division with a time of 2:13:33. Both times are within a minute of the current Chicago records: 2:00:35 for men’s and 2:13:44 for women’s, both set in 2023 by Kelvin Kiptum and Sifan Hassan, respectively.
There were also men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions. Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won the women’s division with a new world record time of 1:33:16. Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s division with a course-record time of 1:21:34.
American runners Clayton Young and Charles Hicks finished seventh and eighth at 2:05:23 and 2:05:35, respectively, marking the second and third-fastest American marathon times in history. Emma Grace Hurley set an American women’s marathon record with her time of 2:20:47.
Celebrities were also spotted crossing the finish line, including former Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo. He ran a 5:34:54 race, sporting a custom bib number 4416 in support of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, NBC Chicago said.
Though the final fundraising total for this year’s marathon has yet to be announced, it is expected to pass last year’s $47.1 million due to this year’s high number of participants.
According to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Charity Program, over 200 local, national and international non-profit organizations were represented.
Isabella Millman, a Northwestern junior who ran in the Chicago Marathon, said that running “is as much of a mental challenge as it is physical.” She said preparing can be difficult and boring at times, but it is all worth it when you get to the day of the race.
“During the marathon there are so many people cheering, and especially running in Chicago, the landscape and architecture was so interesting that it was actually easier,” Millman said.
De Mey shared a piece of advice for those who may be looking to run a marathon in the future: “Just live your own journey and enjoy it.”