CHICAGO, IL – The Bank of America Chicago Marathon returns on Sunday, October 13, for the 46th running of one of the world’s most iconic road races.
More than 50,000 participants from around the world are preparing to take on 26.2 miles through the heart of downtown Chicago. Each individual motivated by their own reason, running for themselves, their family members and their communities. These inspiring stories make each year’s race special, and this year will be no different.
From athletes breaking barriers and records to those running for a cause, below is a collection of the unique stories from the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon participant field.
2024 TOP STORIES
Honoring Kelvin Kiptum: On February 11, 2024, the running world was shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana. Kiptum’s meteoric rise began in 2022 when at the age of 23 he ran the fastest debut marathon in Valencia, crossing the finish line in 2:01:53. Four months later, he won the TCS London Marathon in 2:01:25. On October 8, 2023, he captured the attention of the world finishing the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2:00:35, setting the world record in the marathon and becoming the first person to run under 2:01. The event will honor Kiptum’s legacy with a moment of silence at the start line and encourage all who were inspired by him to wear a memorial sticker, available for free at the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo, on race day.
Record-Setting Field Expected: The 45th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be remembered as a record setting day headlined by Kelvin Kiptum’s stunning men’s marathon world record and four new course records. The excitement of the day inspired runners from around the world to return to the streets of Chicago for a chance to set their own record, with more than 120,000 individuals applying for a chance to participate in this year’s race. Those who secured an entry will join another record-breaking field at this year’s event with 50,000 participants expected to cross the finish line in Grant Park on race day.
Event Generates Significant Economic Impact: The Bank of America Chicago Marathon continues to generate significant impact for the city of Chicago, with the 2023 race contributing a record-breaking $546 million to the city’s economy, according to an independent economic impact study conducted by Jones & Associates Economics. Since 2017, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has had a cumulative economic impact of over $2.3 billion.
Speed on Display in Professional Field: Fast racing will once again be on display at this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The professional field features two of the top 10 fastest women of all time, two of the world’s most exciting marathon stars racing in the United States for the first time and both defending champions in the wheelchair field. The full professional field roster can be viewed here.
Bank of America Chicago Distance Series: The second edition of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series culminates at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Participants who completed the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K Run 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 2025 Chicago Marathon. Local Distance Series participants and ambassadors, Erica Agran and Adrian Octavius Walker, will be celebrating the achievement on Sunday, October 13 along with 2,943 others. Zach Panning is set to be the first professional athlete to complete the series.
NOTABLE PARTICIPANTS
Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes: The couple and hosts of the popular podcast Amy & T.J. are excited to continue their marathon journey in Chicago. In addition to lacing up their shoes, Robach and Holmes invite participants and fans to join them for a live recording of their podcast at the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo. The recording will take place at 4 p.m. CDT on Friday, October 11.
Claire Holt: Claire Holt is a social media influencer and popular actress who has appeared in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. She is running this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon and raising funds for Boston Children’s Hospital. Holt raised over $160,000 for the hospital in 2022 when she ran the TCS New York City Marathon.
Alma Cooper: Alma Cooper was crowned Miss USA in August. She is the first Active-Duty Army Officer to win the title of Miss USA in its 73-year history. Cooper is participating in this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon for Apna Ghar, a non-profit providing critical, comprehensive, culturally competent services, and conducting outreach and advocacy across communities to end gender violence.
Patina Miller: Patina Miller is a Tony and Grammy award-winning singer and actress who is known for her performances on Broadway in Pippin, Into the Woods and Sister Act, as well as for her roles as Raquel “Raq” Thomas in the STARZ original series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and as Commander Paylor in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay films. Patina ran the 2023 and 2022 TCS New York City Marathons.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Native Women Run: This year, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is proud to work with the national non-profit group Native Women Run (NWR) to help increase the representation of the Native community in endurance events in the United States and Canada.
Angel Tadytin, Mesa, AZ: Angel, a social worker from the Navajo Nation, is running her second marathon in Chicago and is part of the NWR leadership team.
Amber Henderson, Aberdeen, SD: Amber is from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa in South Dakota and is a tenured Associate Professor of Management and Interim Department Chairperson at Northern State University (NSU). This is her first marathon.
Birdie Wermy, Tualatin, OR: A proud member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, Birdie resides in Oregon and works as a Behavioral Health Project Manager at the NW Portland Area Indian Health Board. This will be her sixth marathon.
Jessica Louis, Crownpoint, NM: A Navajo from New Mexico, Jessica is a dedicated stay-at-home educator. This will be her second marathon.
Alumni Runners, Randy Burt, Henry Kozlowski and George Mueller: From the first Chicago Marathon on September 25, 1977, to the upcoming 46th, three runners have been on every start line and every finish line. Randy, 76 from Antioch, Il; Henry Kozlowski, 74 from Wilmette, IL; and George, 76 from Bloomingdale, IL are the three participants to have completed every Chicago Marathon. While they take it one year at a time, they are eyeing the 50th as their biggest milestone.
Anthony D’Amato, Salt Lake City, UT: Anthony, a Director at Microsoft, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and husband of professional athlete Keira D’Amato, is looking forward to running his tenth marathon at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He will follow in the footsteps of Keira who is running in the 2024 professional athlete field. Both have been training in Salt Lake City this summer and have a fierce family competition to see if Anthony can finish within 40 minutes of Keira.
LaeThea Willocks, Chicago, IL: A native of the Virgin Islands, LaeThea’s running journey began with a 5k alongside her sister seven years ago. Following the birth of her two daughters, LaeThea has been running wherever life takes her – whether that’s the lakeshore, the Virgin Islands, or Belgrade, Serbia. A 6th grade math and science teacher at Dewitt Clinton Elementary School in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood, LaeThea is a Girls Who Run coach who can’t wait to complete her first ever marathon as a member of Team TCS Teachers.
Lauren Pendergrass, Dixon, IL: Lauren will run her first Bank of America Chicago Marathon in honor of her late brother, Grant, who lost his life in 2021 to drug overdose. She is running for Erika’s Lighthouse, a non-profit organization that provides support and resources to teens struggling with anxiety and depression.
Truth Bachman, Brooklyn, NY: Truth, a member of the Front Runners of New York, is running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon to get their fourth Abbott World Marathon Majors star, with the goal to become one of the first out trans/non-binary individuals to get their Six Star medal, with Tokyo and London remaining. Truth says they are inspired by the idea that, much like the process of transitioning, running a marathon is also a physical act of transformation and is what propels them over the finish line.
César Torruella, Chicago, IL: César’s running journey began during the pandemic in 2021 when he tipped the scales at nearly 500 pounds. After losing 300 pounds, César decided to join a run club. Now, the former vocal performer and music teacher turned arts and education department leader in the Chicago Public Schools system, is inspired by his partner of 15+ years and fellow immigrant music student to complete his first marathon. A native of Puerto Rico, César is thrilled to take his personal victory lap on the streets of Chicago and raise awareness for art education in the process.
Thomas Eller, Essen, Germany: Thomas is an advocate for the rights and inclusion of the Deaf. As the world’s first Deaf born Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher, he has amplified the voices of the Deaf community, promoted inclusivity and demonstrated the incredible capabilities that exist within us all. He chose to run the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon to continue his mission of raising awareness for the Deaf community worldwide.
Summer Willis, Lexington, VA: At age 19, Summer was raped at a college party. A decade later, as a part of her healing journey, she set a goal of running 29 marathons in her 29th year to connect with survivors and raise funds for her foundation, Strength Through Strides. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be her 29th race.
Phil Sussman, Madeira Beach, FL: Phil, an Army Special Operations veteran, was an avid runner as a teenager, but his injuries from service, including a broken back in 2015, made him believe he’d never run again. He began his healing journey with three miles a day, running his first half marathon on Memorial Day last year in honor of the friends he served with. He’s excited to continue that tradition by running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as part of the Semper Fi Fund charity team.
Christoph Glaetzer, Princeton, NJ: In honor of his 55th birthday, Christoph decided to take on an extraordinary challenge to raise critical funds that will help accelerate a cure for Multiple Myeloma, the second most common blood cancer. In his “5 by 55” journey, which officially began in April of this year, he plans to run five of Abbott World Marathon Majors to raise $55,000 for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). This fall he will complete the challenge running in the BMW Berlin Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and TCS New York City Marathon.
Maureen Lesak, Chicago, IL: Maureen started running more than 25 years ago as a way to manage stress and find balance. The Bank of America Merrill Lynch executive is running to support Chicago Run, the local nonprofit delivering equitable health programs to youth in underserved communities, where she serves as the board president. Maureen is working her way toward completing 100 marathons, with every step dedicated to enhancing the well-being of Chicago’s youth.
Varsha Suresh, New York, NY: Varsha is a senior financial analyst at Bank of America and is participating in her first marathon. Following the loss of her best friend to cancer, Varsha wanted to honor her friend’s memory and her spirit of kindness. She is running this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon to benefit Cal’s Angels, an organization that helps kids with cancer, along with their families.
Cris Colon, Plainfield, IL: Merrill wealth management advisor Cris Colon was inspired to start running in 2017 when he learned his health was in jeopardy. He engaged in a wellness journey that resulted in the loss of more than 100 pounds, all while advancing his career and, in the past year, became a part-time firefighter to help fill a significant need in a nearby community. Cris is dedicating his Bank of America Chicago Marathon run to the fallen firefighters of Chicago while fundraising for the Bourbonnais Fire Protection District.
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 professional 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 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant Park on Sunday, October 13, 2024. In advance of the race, a three-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Thursday, October 10, Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October 12. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com.
