Another Chicago Marathon In The Books
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Oct 12, 2009 4:00PM
Yesterday's Bank of America Chicago Marathon saw Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru set a course record of 2:05:41 and Russia's Liliya Shobukhova was the top woman finisher. In addition to the standard prize money for winning, Wanjiru also pocketed a $100,000 bonus for setting the course record -- but that almost didn't happen. Not aware of his record-setting pace or the bonus at stake, he waved to the crowd during the final stretch and ended up surpassing the old mark by a single second.
For most racers, the marathon wasn't about trying to win the prize money or qualify for the Olympics. Almost 35,000 runners started the race on a crisp morning and 33,411 crossed the finish line 26.2 miles later. For a full list of runners who finished, check the Tribune's alphabetical list (top right box) on their main marathon coverage page. The Trib also shares the stories of some of those runners and why they ran. Some did it because of personal goals. Others did it to help raise money or show support for a variety of causes. While training for a single marathon takes tons of dedication, Larry Moon set a new standard; he completed his 32nd Chicago Marathon, only of only nine people to have run every single one since the race's inception.