Chicago hosted its 47th annual Marathon on Oct. 13, a tradition that started in September of 1977. It is one of six World Major Marathons and a major yearly Chicago event. The race is 26.2 miles long, with the first few races starting at 7:30 a.m. Social Action Project (SAP) is a club that is in charge of providing service opportunities to help the community. Members volunteered with an organization called Dare2Tri at the marathon. 

Dare2Tri is an operation located in Chicago that aims to enhance the lives of individuals with physical disabilities by building confidence and better wellness. For the Chicago Marathon, Dare2Tri members and volunteers supported athletes with disabilities. 

“With the Chicago Marathon, Dare2Tri was looking for volunteers to help escort athletes to the start line and carry equipment, and then they also were looking for help at the finish tent,” Student Leader of (SAP) Lauren Kory ‘25 said. 

“Our primary focus is supporting athletes with disabilities, which includes both wheelchair racers and visually impaired athletes,” Kyle Norwaczyk, Director of Communications at Dare2Tri said.

Dare2Tri has been volunteering at the Marathon for several years and has been supporting athletes for two decades, Norwaczyk said.

“Although we will not be guiding athletes through the race, I always enjoy hearing different 

stories from athletes and their accomplishments,” Kory said. “Dare2Tri has a number of Paralympic athletes on their team, and watching them compete is the most motivating experience ever.”

The marathon attracts professional athletes from all over the world, and the race can only hold up to about 50,000 runners. The runners went through 29 neighborhoods and six bridges, all of which showed off the culture and architecture of Chicago. Eighteen miles of the course was on Chicago’s Lakefront Trail. The race started and finished in Grant Park, and the course produced four world records. The Marathon was put together by its five founders, including the original race director, Wendy Miller. This race also was a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. 

The award for first place was $100,000, won this year by Ruth Chepngetich. She made history by being the first female runner to complete a marathon in two hours and 9 minutes. Runners had to meet the pace of six hours and 30 minutes, which is equivalent to a 15-minute mile, in order for their time to count for awards/placements. If runners surpass this, they will not be counted as official finishers.