major marathon held yearly chicago illinois united_states alongside boston new_york london berlin world marathon majors gold label race october running 39th anniversary race race held september original mayor drew field runners race held year half marathon run fastest growing marathon road races world largely fast flat course pursuit personal records world record performances race achieved elite status developing relationship sponsors provide prize money lure elite runners produced american world record performances race sponsored officially known race limited runners runners finish hours officially timed wishing participate register meeting time qualifying standard selected general lottery race limited registration exceptions include elite runners charity representatives increasingly local chicago national global charities humanitarian organizations encourage sponsored participation event means fund raising history marathon games generated interest sport led similar races western countries united_states sporadically occurred new_york_city established annual marathon soon followed chicago beginning organized sponsored held annually significant community spectator support early 1920s run saturday september race began finished standing room paying crowd race track stunning upset reported spectators watched come steal late race victory favored race began annual run epic races continued early 1920s revised course largely resembles today marathon route years elite fields included olympic champions world records continually sought marathon continued inspire chicago communities spectators challenges early 1920s sidelined event health consciousness 1960s marathon growth gained traction eyes nation games marathon victory represented convergence middle class american ideals new york city marathon embrace borough course popularized big city marathon new_york marathon began grow 1970s established rival mid-1980s big mid-1980s named america opened way appearance payments described world marathon open race qualifying time participate founded objection chicago parks superintendent refused permission run parks lake michigan help event founder operated near north community area chicago chicago mayor support marathon enlisted mayor died successor approved race got kelly board runner wife actually passed medals marathon september edition modern called mayor bill race sponsors bill race called mayor race sponsor early years held august inception runners finishers nation largest running second new_york events continued gatherings amateur runners race finally sufficient prize money attract world class athletes world class times american born male win race achieved status america important raised purse new_york race legitimate rival new_york continues runners race spectacular breaking course record seconds short world record olympic champion time defending olympic bronze medalist fourth place olympic finisher world record setting set record stood nearly generation time considered premier marathon united_states world world class runners participants times comparison dropped sponsor half marathon race held year marathon moved spring attracted sponsor old style race resulted women passed games placing positions discontinued sponsorship prize money performances waned race sponsorship brought new sponsor race purchased purchased race years prior race began timing broke women world record marathon time men women current world records set race sponsored following purchase new title use acquired parent company assumed races title sponsorship race history ceo race featured special competition presidents company owners suite executives companies million annual gross revenue million women race history having men women men wheelchair races decided final meters day record setting heat race partially shut early half hours temperatures rose hot surpassed temperature records official chicago records october chose run record temperatures people finish called course closed early safety runner died hospitalized sought medical attention marathon owner sponsor acquired denied similar hot conditions experienced city centre races london british extremely hot weather affected runners course marathon course loop course starting ending grant park current course winds city neighborhoods course loop generally divided sections south near directions city main nearby turning points field near north west cellular field south hand located near start finish area miles runners wind chicago downtown area eventually head north street runners supported aid stations spread miles addition medical staff available stations services scattered course digital positioned kilometers halfway point runner statistics grown significantly beginnings runners registered chicago marathon actually started race finished modern marathon race people signed race expected numbers people registered people registered marathon run october reached cap instituted race drew runners prior entry deadline september reached cap october october october races reached caps august july respectively april race run october reached cap late registration exemption elite runners marathon times half marathon times men women register september race reached registration cap spring finishers fourth largest marathon depending metric finishers entered predominantly upper middle class wide range age near equality sexes excluded women historically women field smaller men result older age categories having large men women women beginning men age group field records world records broken chicago times broke world record surpass women record broken consecutive years broke record surpassed mark year world record course record men record set race economic impact marathon impact derived tourism industry runners indicated visit chicago come countries travelers event increases hotel occupancy rates marathon edition marathon contributed million worth activity local economy produced jobs charity program registered come served basis elite runners extended deadline numerous official charities additional late registration rights award event charity partners event raised million charity charity fundraising closely event runners raise money research aid suffering public awareness different causes marathon offers opportunity sign run charity partner marathon recognizes levels charities based number participants recruited required participants raise team member requirement program existed marked year data available total number charities dropped number participants funds raised continued climb deaths north_carolina believed died cardiac arrest yards finish line midland michigan valve plains ohio valve seattle washington collapsed near finish line body temperature reached heat stroke oklahoma cardiac arrest colorado believed caused gallery
Chicago Marathon