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Gold Medalist Dita Leads Chicago Field
Posted September 11th, 2008 at 10:45 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Organizers of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will have the sparkle of gold at their race on Sunday, October 12, when Romania’s Constantina Dita steps to the starting line. The newly crowned Olympic Games gold medalist will have just 56 days to recover from her breakaway win in Beijing, then rally back to perform at her best in Chicago. It will be her fifth appearance in the Windy City, a race she won in 2004 and finished second one year later in a personal best 2:21:30.
“I am delighted to be returning to Chicago,” said Dita through a press release. “I have always felt great running there and have been fortunate to have some of the best races of my life there. It will also be nice to return because I understand Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games and I think it would be a wonderful place to have them.”
In Beijing Dita pulled away from the field just before the halfway point, and romped to a solo victory in 2:26:44, 22 seconds ahead of silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya. She became the oldest Olympic Games marathon champion at 38.
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Sponsor Name Change
for Chicago Marathon
Posted January 31st, 2008 at 6:03 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
The Chicago Marathon announced that the official title of their race would change to reflect the turnover in ownership of the bank which owns it. Known last year as the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, this year the event will be called the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the race’s logo has been updated, accordingly.
“It is our privilege and honor to continue the grand tradition of this iconic race and maintain the tenets that have established it as one of the five most prestigious marathons in the world,” said Bank of America Illinois President David Rudis in a media release. “We also plan to strengthen and grow the race by developing additional community and philanthropic programs and welcoming new sponsors. Today is the first day of what we believe will be an exciting new era for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.”
The event also announced that the registration process for the October 12 race would open tomorrow. The race plans to enroll 45,000 runners (last year’s race had 35,867 starters).
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2008 Previews & Predictions: Women’s Marathon
Posted January 24th, 2008 at 12:30 PM by Jared Markowitz
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics
The marathon promises to be one of the marquee events in women’s track and field in 2008. Among the highlights will be an epic showdown in London, a thrilling U.S. Olympic Trials, and Paula Radcliffe’s last chance at Olympic glory in Beijing. These and a few other huge races should provide many memorable moments and will define many careers. I will again try to make predictions based on as much hearsay, personal bias, and circumstantial data as I can gather.
The first big event on the 2008 women’s marathon calendar is the Flora London Marathon, which will be held on April 13. This race feature’s several of the world’s top female marathoners including World Record holder Radcliffe, World Marathon Majors Champ Gete Wami, Dubai Marathon champ Berhane Adere, Svetlana Zakharova, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, and Benita Johnson.
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Marathon Comes to Big Screen, But For Only One Night
Posted January 7th, 2008 at 10:07 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Motivation, Movies
In an unusual arrangement, a full-length feature documentary film on marathon running will be shown in USA theaters, but only for one night: Thursday, January 24.
The film, “Spirit of the Marathon,” presents the stories of six runners who competed in the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, from from first timers to elite runners like Deena Kastor and Daniel Njenga. The film explores how recreational runners use the marathon as a device to confront other issues in their lives –like divorce– and how elite runners are in it for equal amounts of glory and cash.
“The normal person, they want to make their body slim,” Njenga says over shots of him warming up before the race. “But for us, we want to make money. This is like a job and I love my job.”
Filmed on four continents, the two-hour movie chronicles the training of these athletes, interspersed with interviews from well-known marathon runners and experts, like Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Amby Burfoot, Dick Beardsley, Joe Henderson, Roger Robinson, and Kathrine Switzer. Shot in hi-def video, the footage of the Chicago Marathon is both varied and majestic; the producers had a crew of 62 on the scene and used 15 camera operators. There is also a rousing score.
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Thrilling Finishes & Record- Breaking Performances Help World Marathon Majors Usher in Brand New Era
Posted December 12th, 2007 at 12:15 PM by Hariz Siddiqui
Section: News & Results, Marathons
World, national and course records, thrilling finishes, more than 300,000 participants, and a championship race that went down to the final day highlighted the inaugural 2006-2007 World Marathon Majors Series, and ushered in a brand new era of growth and excitement in the sport.
After a six month break, the excitement will continue at the 2008 Flora London Marathon on April 13, followed eight days later by the 112th Boston Marathon on April 21.
Here is a look back at some of the many highlights from the 2006-2007 World Marathon Majors Series:
Record Breakers:
* 2006: Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) sets a course record of 2:07:14 at the 110th Boston Marathon.
* Deena Kastor (USA) sets a new American record of 2:19:36 in winning the 2006 Flora London Marathon, becoming the eighth woman to break 2:20:00.
* Ethiopians Haile Gebrselassie (2:05:56) and Gete Wami (2:21:34) each set national records in victory at the 2006 real,-BERLIN-MARATHON.
* Gebrselassie sets a new world record of 2:04:26 at the 2007 real,-BERLIN-MARATHON.
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Wami, Cheruiyot Crowned First WMM Champions
Posted November 5th, 2007 at 5:59 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Marathons
The World Marathon Majors crowned its inaugural male and female champions today at a ceremony held in New York City.
The two-year, 11-race series concluded yesterday at the ING New York City Marathon where Gete Wami’s (ETH) second-place finish earned her the final points needed to clinch the series women’s championship. Robert Cheruiyot (KEN) secured the men’s title with three first-place victories during the two-year competition.
Each champion received $500,000 for accumulating the most points in the series which included marathons in Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York as well as this summer’s IAAF World Championships Marathon.
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Inaugural World Marathon Majors Series to Conclude at ING New York City Marathon
Posted October 29th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Jamal Walker
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Nearly two years have passed since organizers of the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City marathons announced the formation of the World Marathon Majors (WMM), and 10 events, including the IAAF World Championships, have been run since the WMM Series was launched at the 2006 Boston Marathon. Just one race – the 2007 ING New York City Marathon – remains before the inaugural WMM Series champions will be presented with their share of the $1 million jackpot at a special luncheon on November 5.
Remarkably, after 10 events – and 262 miles of racing – the women’s WMM Series champion has yet to be decided. Of the 32 women who have earned WMM points, just two remain in contention for the title: Gete Wami (ETH) and Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT). With $500,000 at stake, in addition to the ING New York City Marathon prize purse, the two women will race head-to-head through the streets of New York. A win for either would clinch the title, but anything less than victory opens up an intriguing number of potential results.
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Podcast 97: KATE O’NEIL Reflects on Her Impressive Marathon Debut in Chicago
Posted October 22nd, 2007 at 5:18 PM by Adam Jacobs
Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts
Episode 97 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my follow-up interview with KATE O’NEIL on her extremely impressive 3rd place, debut marathon performance at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
In the interview Kate reflects on her big day and talks about the keys to her success, battling through the heat, when she realized the leaders were too far out of reach and why after initially “feeling terrible despite the happiness” she now is excited to run another marathon.
Download the podcast to hear Kate discuss these topics, as well as, how this experience and her success in a slow, but strategic race will help her in April’s U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, training adjustments and preparing for the wind in Boston, her racing plans for 2008, and advice for first time marathoners!
Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)[RSS] Add The Final Sprint Podcast RSS feed to your RSS reader to have the show delivered to you
Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Kate O’Neil
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 8.34 MB | Length: 12:08 MIN
Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!
Tucson Marathon Offers Discount To Chicago Runners
Posted October 22nd, 2007 at 11:23 AM by Jeanie Rebb
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Due to unseasonably high heat and humidity in the Mid-west over Columbus Day weekend, many competitors in the 2007 Chicago Marathon were unable to complete the event, or compete to the best of their ability. It is unfortunate that so many athletes did not realize their goal at a world-class, elite event such as the Chicago Marathon
Due to these circumstances, race officials for the Tucson Marathon Events have decided to offer a $10 discount to all competitors who registered for this year’s Chicago Marathon. This offer is valid through November 22, 2007 and can be applied on-line through www.active.com using a special discount code. Please send an email to request additional details: info@dreamchaserevents.com
The Holualoa Tucson Marathon will be held on Sunday, December 2, 2007 and is run along the base of the Santa Catalina Mountain Range in beautiful southern Arizona. Known for its point-to-point, fast, downhill course, the event is certified by USATF and is a Boston Marathon qualifier, with qualifying times being good for two years. The Tucson Marathon typically sees around 1,200 competitors and is run concurrently with the Damascus Bakeries Half Marathon and the Jim Click Marathon Relay.
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Race Directors To Discuss 2007 Chicago Marathon
Issues at RRM Meeting
Posted October 18th, 2007 at 7:22 PM by Jamal Walker
Section: News & Results, Marathons
The Road Race Management Race Directors’ Meeting has added a mini forum titled: “Issues Relating to the Recent Chicago Marathon” to their schedule for Saturday, Nov. 10.
Prior to this session they will discuss the role of a race spokesperson, which will touch on some of the issues generated by the extreme heat at Chicago, but the extra allotted session will afford additional time to discuss, digest and exchange views about what happened in Chicago, why it happened, and the reactions of the participants, the public and the media.
Who had the more impressive Boston Marathon debut?
Recent Comments
Page 2 Articles
- Chicago Marathon ‘07: Pirtea, in her 26.2 mile debut, makes her move and pulls away from Adere!
Until a moment ago, Adere kept turning around, only to see Pirtea right on her back refusing to take the lead.
However … Pirtea has just made a huge move and put 30 meters on Adere.
This is an unbelievable effort from the Romanian Pirtea who is only 26 years old, making her marathon debut […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: Adere and Pirtea hit 20 miles; continue to dominate the women’s field
Pirtea continues to stay behind Adere. There is no wind to contend with, so Adere does not have to do any extra work.
Adere keeps turning to Pirtea to take the lead and do some work, but Pirtea will have nothing to do with it.
They just hit 20 miles in 1:55:50 and ran the last mile […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: Ivuti and Gharib Make Their Moves
At 35K, the four leaders are still going strong. Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN), Daniel Njenga (KEN), Jaouad Gharib (MAR) and Patrick Ivuti (KEN). With seven miles to go, one of them is about to bust the race wide open. With the heat, though, they are holding on until the last possible minute before one of […]
- Chicago Marathon ‘07: Pace slowing after 19 miles; Adere and Pirtea continue to lead
Adere and Pirtea are slowing down, but staying together. Adere seems unable to pull away from Pirtea who is hanging tough. Ivanova seems to be out of the picture. They just came across 19 miles in 1:49:36. Their last mile was 6:06
Benita Johnson is in 4th with Kate O’Neil in 5th and about […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: Down to Four Men
The men go through the 30K mark in 1:33:05, on pace for a 2:10:55 marathon. It’s down to four men: Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN), Jaouad Gharib (MAR), Patrick Ivuti (KEN) and Daniel Njenga (KEN). Njenga has made a herculean effort to get to the lead pack, so he is at a disadvantage, having wasted valuable […]
- Chicago Marathon ‘07: Adere and Pirtea pull away; Ivanova and Johnson disappear from view
Adere and Pirtea are in now leading in a single fileline. Ivanova has disappeared. She can’t be seen from the lead bike, nor can Benita Johnson.
The lead women’s 18 mile time was 1:43:31 and they ran the last mile in 5:52 as the pace, which had been about 5:45/mile, continues to slow.
Adere […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: Women through 17 miles in 1:37:59
Women hit 17 miles in 1:37:39. Their ast mile was run in 5:54 last mile.
Ivanova has dropped back a little now after stopping to take a bottle from someone on the street.
Benita Johnson is about 15 seconds back, along with Erkesso. Kate O’Neil and Olaru are right behind them.
The women’s elite 25k times […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: It is now 87 degrees in Chicago!
These runners are really starting to feel the heat and memories of the hot Flora London marathon last April are setting in.
The temperatures in Chicago are now a sweltering 87 degrees Fahrenheit!
This heat will undoubtedly be an deciding factor in the final miles.
***** ***** ***** […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: Ivanova and Adere still lead after 16
Women go through 16 miles in 1:31:44. 5:49 for the last mile.
Ivanova and Adere continue to lead with Pirtea right behind them.***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Check back often for TheFinalSprint.com’s LIVE coverage of the 2007 Chicago Marathon, […] - Chicago Marathon ‘07: Lead pack down to three - Adere, Pirtea, and Ivanova
Women at 25k in 1:28:59. Olaru has dropped back and is at least 15 seconds back at this point.
The women’s leaders are Ivanova, Adere, and Pirtea as the pack has cut down with the quickening pace and increased heat.
Adere and Ivanova are running shoulder to shoulder with Pirtea right behind them.
Johnson and Erkesso […]
The Final Sprint
On June 9, 2009
Bridget said:
I completely agree with this article. Although I don't think moderate caffeine before a moderate workout...