2020 Chicago Marathon Update
As many of you have probably already heard, the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon was officially canceled last week. Even though we have slowly been coming to terms that this would be the decision, especially with the Boston and New York marathons being canceled earlier this summer, we would be lying if we didn’t say we are very bummed about it. But, as Covid cases continue to grow, we both understand it is for the best.
The Chicago Marathon typically draws around 45,000 runners from all 50 states and over 100 countries. The race brings in over 1.5 million spectators and that doesn’t even include the thousands of volunteers. Social distancing would be impossible with that many people in downtown Chicago. Imagine running 26.2 miles with a mask on!
This is only the second time in 43 years the marathon has been canceled. Understandably, people have a lot of questions about what happens next. The marathon officials put together a Cancellation FAQ that covers such questions as well as many others.
Our main question was, if it did get cancelled, would we both be able to defer our entries? As you may or may not know, Julian won a lottery entry. He would likely be safe to defer or get refunded due to the cancellation. I on the other hand, am running on the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention charity team and raising money for my spot in the race. Would there be spots on a future race team? Would my fundraising carry over? Would my fundraising goal increase for a future race spot? There was a bit more uncertainty with my race entry.
Despite the cancellation for the 2020 race, I am happy to confirm they have given runners (both charity and lottery winners) the option to refund their race entry or defer to another year. Julian and I both enjoy running and being able to train together has not only been fun, but something that has kept us motivated and our minds preoccupied during this uncertain time. One of our goals is to run an official marathon and we are excited to be able to defer to another year rather than just receive our money back. We have also enjoyed raising money for AFSP and Team Hope. Fundraising is new to both of us, but it has allowed us to learn and spread the word about AFSP and all the resources they provide in support of mental health and suicide prevention. You can read more about our decision for running with Team Hope here.
Our goal to raise $2,500 for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention is still in place. Any money we raise this calendar year will go toward our fundraising goal for the future marathon race.
As 2020 continues, even with no official race date, we are still committed to running 26.2 miles this year. There is the possibility of a virtual component of the race we can do in October or maybe the two of us will just run the miles by ourselves. The length of the lakeshore offers some great scenery. Regardless of how we run this year and with all the uncertainty in the world, it is nice to have the question of the status of the marathon answered. Even if it isn’t the answer we were hoping for, the two of us remain committed to running all the miles and dedicated to Team Hope.
