One of the cool things about the sport of distance running is that you get to run in the same race, start at the same starting line, cover the same ground, and finish at the same place, as the elite athletes of our sport. It really is the people's sport. Anyone can do it, and no one will look down on you if you finish a marathon in 6 hours any more than if you finish in under 3 hours.
But living in the Chicago area gives us access to a greater variety of races, and a higher level of elite athlete than many smaller towns. The Bank of America Chicago marathon obviously draws many of the top runners in the world, and has been home to world records for both men and women.
But there are many other races that draw some pretty good runners also. A few years ago I was one of dozens of runners who could claim to have beaten the legendary Frank Shorter in a race. He took part in the Jim Gibbons 5k, and jogged the course. I ran hard. But still, I finished ahead of an Olympic Gold Medalist! So what if he was several decades removed from his prime.
I am reminded of this because Shorter will be back in town the first weekend in August for the Rock-n-Roll half marathon. I don't know whether he's running, but he is making appearances in conjunction with the race. That's cool. But the bigger news from a sports perspective is that one of the best American women distance runners will also be in town. And Kara Goucher is running the race!
Goucher is using the August 2nd race as preparation for the marathon in the World Championships a few weeks later in Berlin. Coincidently, I have run the last two marathons she ran as well. Well, not as well. Goucher finished third in both the 2008 New York marathon, and the 2009 Boston marathon. She was the top American in both races, and finished heartbreakingly close (:08) to the leaders in an extremely tight finish at Boston. The picture below is from the finish line. Hers was the highest finish by an American in Boston in 16 years. Her New York finish was the best American effort since 1994. And she has continued to run well, winning the 5000 meters at the U.S. Championships last month.
The Rock-n-Roll organizers deserve credit for bringing her here for the race. They took over from the Chicago Distance Classic this year for the inaugural run here. The Distance Classic has had a spotty history of quality over the last decade or so. They have never brought in world class runners. But since the new owners took over, the race sold out with 18,000 runners weeks ago based on reputation alone. And they seem determined to make sure the race lives up to the reputation is has gained in other cities. They'll have live bands at least every mile along the course, and a big concert afterward with Blues/Jazz/Rock artist Susan Tedeschi. That will be in Grant Park and free and open to the public.
Goucher's appearance means that arguably the two best female U.S. marathoners will be running in Chicago this year. Deena Kastor plans to run the Chicago marathon in October. She missed the fall and spring marathon seasons after her injury in the Beijing Olympics. It should be quite a treat for fans of the sport.
I will watch Kastor's race on TV, but I plan to run the Rock-n-Roll half. I expect to cover the same ground as Kara Goucher. And I expect she will be showered and dressed for the awards ceremony by the time I finish!
See you on the roads....
Comments