The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, held in Chicago, is one of the fastest growing marathon road race in the world. In recent years, the marathon has been the site of many world record performances, due in part to its largely flat course.

There is no qualifying time to participate in the Chicago Marathon, but only runners who finish within 6½ hours are officially timed. The race is limited to 45,000 runners on a first-come, first-served basis.

A complete history of the The Chicago Marathon has been written by Andrew Suozzo and published by the University of Illinois Press.

Increasingly, local (e.g. Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital), national (e.g., American Cancer Society) and global (e.g., Global Business Assist, British Red Cross) charities and humanitarian organizations encourage sponsored participation in the event as a means of fund raising.

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International Association of Athletic Federations
Chicago Marathon website
wikipedia entry

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