Chicago Area Local News

  Race organizers held a news conference Monday morning to address concerns about their handling of the Chicago Marathon and how both race officials and runners could have done a better job of coping with record temperatures.

Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski defended his decision to cut the race short after about 3 ½ hours, saying that safety must be the paramount concern. He said marathon officials are considering offering refunds to disappointed runners who did not get to finish the race. Read More

Viewer Comments:

Sunday's Marathon spectators were fantastic.  Their enthusiasm kept me going.  I tried, and failed, to stay with the 4 hour pacers and ended up crossing the finish line in 4:47.  Although disappointed at the time, I am happy to have finished at all.
 
I never ran into any problems at the water stations.  The volunteers worked their tails off to keep the cups full and help us cool down.  I, and everyone around me, took several cups of Gatorade and water.  We were in survival mode and never considered we would leave those behind is without fluids.
 
The marathon coordinators could never have anticipated the conditions.  I believe they did an outstanding job pulling off the event and keeping us apprised of the situation.  We all signed waivers at registration acknowledging the risks.  We were all warned in advance that the high temperatures would be very dangerous.  We all felt the heat and humidity at the start and chose to run anyway.
 
I think it's unfortunate that the organizers are getting such bad press.  They did their jobs well.

Sent by: Carol Donahue | Oct. 10, 2007 6:53AM


I've run the Chicago Marathon 6 times since 1998. This event and it's organizers are world class.  As far as Sunday goes, it was an unfortunate series of events.  The race organizers could not forsee all that unfolded.  They sent adequate warnings (including tips on running in hot weather in the Mile by Mile newsletter sent out via e-mail 4 days before the race).  They sent buses, had early closings, etc. 

As many have stated, runners need to take accountability for themselves.  As the training for marathons is usually 16 weeks or more, participants (especially Chicago runners) should have trained in this heat.

With the Internet and all the media outlets available, it should have been no surprise that the race would be hot.  Given this, runners should have made arrangements to carry additional water, Gatorade, Cytomax or whatever other supplements (including salt pills) to deal with the heat. 

Also, as this race is run through much of Chicago, runners could have stopped along the route at convenience stores and picked up supplies (I did it often during training runs). As a runner of 6 marathons and 3 Ironman events, I do not understand why blame is being placed on the race organizers.  

Yes, the conditions were tough.  Yes, the water ran out (due to the other runners, not race planning).  Stop whining people and understand what an endurance race is all about.  Try going 140.6 miles in the lava fields of Hawaii.
 
Sent by: Patrick Quaglia | Oct. 9, 2007 11:33PM


As Co-Captain of Water Station 7 at mile 13.7, I want to state that we had an adequate water supply to the time that the race was called. We recieved one additional delivery of water which did indeed run out very rapidly. There was more on the way to us when the race was called.

I feel very strongly that the race was run very well and all the right calls were made to compensate for the unusual weather situation. I also feel that the news media has created an unjust fire storm over the whole thing. There could have been twice the amount of water on the course and the same situation would have occured. Thank you Carey Pinkowsky for making the right decisions at the right time.

Sent by: Stuart Gootnick | Oct. 9, 2007 11:29PM


I am tired of the negative press that has been given to the staging of blame on the Marathon Organizors and City of Chicago and Mayor's Office. These runners have been training for many months in all weather conditions, some winter, spring, summer and fall and I give them all credit to the 10,000 who remember the advice that their parents gave to them about all weather conditions and stayed home knowing how difficult it is to run 6-8-10 miles in 88 sunny degrees let along 26 miles on an October day.  To all the others it's obvious many were not properly trained and neglected to heed advice of what was taught to them many years ago. I realize their excitement to run the race but they sure pushed the envelope to run a race on such a HOT day. Water, Gatorade, etc., are just an excuse that they would have been able to finish the race for many of them.

Common sense would prevail if they only remember to put a hat and gloves on in the winter, umbrella or raincoat when there is rain in the forecast and sun screen and a hat in the summer and to find shade or a nice cold bar when its that HOT. It is time to GROW UP and listen to the advice your parents gave to you, and to STOP placing the blame on everyone else. At the end of the day you decided to challenge mother nature and mother nature always wins out.

Sent by: Jerry Tampier | Oct. 9, 2007 10:22PM


I did NOT run the marathon on Sunday but was a spectator. I have run for over 30 years, have run almost 500 races and 14 marathons (finish times ranging between 2:45 and 3:35). I no longer do marathons - primarily due to the fact that no matter how well trained I might be for it, it all comes down to what the weather conditions are on race day.  There are lots of other distances out there for people who want to run, raise money for organizations, and have goals.

What happened to common sense? Why did so many people ignore the fact (and e-mails from the race organizers) that it was going to be UNSEASONABLY HOT and make a wise decision NOT to run the marathon.  The distance is a physical challenge in and of itself - on a good weather day, for the well-trained.  It is NOT something someone with little training should attempt when the weather conditions are severe.

I recommend the race directors make it tougher to get into - that you either have to qualify for it (like the Boston marathon) with a respectable half-marathon time or that you have to have a doctor's authorization. I applaud the 10,000 runners who chose NOT to run!

Sent by: Karen McQuilkin Leavitt | Oct. 9, 2007 8:01PM



My name is Susan Valene. I am from Carol Stream and am 31 years old.  This is my 2nd marathon and needless to say I am very disappointed. I went thru the first and second aid stations with no water available.  They were taking down the tables as I passed by. I am an 11:00 minute mile pace and am in the middle of the pack so if I had no water than the majority of people didn't also.

We pay an entry fee to the race to provide supplies and other items which were not supplied. Then at mile 14 I was told the race over and that I had to walk down Jackson back to Grant Park. That was about a 3 mile walk with no water available so again I had to buy my own water.  I relied upon convenience stores and spectators along the course to provide me water. I spent over $20 in water/gatorade along the way so I could keep my electrolytes up and keep hydrated.

I also can't believe the race commissioner saying that they had enough water and that runners took too much water along the way. Did they think runners would just drink the water? No it doesn't work like that you drink 1 and wear 1 as we used to say in training. With the excessive heat it was more like drink 2 wear 2 which is not unheard of.  Since they have hosted 30+ marathons you would think that LaSalle Bank/The race commission would be prepared for this. Also what would have happened if all 45,000 runners showed up then how much water would they have? Luckily 1/4 of the runners dropped out before the race even started. I would hate to see the chaos if everyone showed up.

Kudos to the spectators, businesses, and other individuals that helped the runners. Those are the real heroes. For the race commission, I wish they would get off the cash cow bandwagon and refund runner's money due to inadequate supplies.  I love how Carey just continues to defend himself and the story changes everytime.

Well wake up Carey, smell the roses, and do the right thing.

Sent by: Susan Valene | Oct. 9, 2007 6:57PM


I was one of the 10,000 or so people that decided to attempt the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, but wasn't afforded the supplies or the option to finish. It was my first marathon, I had trained 4 1/2 months for it and therefore wanted to give it my best shot.  I had run some of my training runs in the heat of the day to prepare for the Chicago Triathlon I did in August, so I thought I could get by.  I started in the 4hr. 45 minutes pace area so I was pretty far back as it took me 20 minutes to get to the start line, but I further slowed my pace down due to the heat and was settling for finishing in 5 hours or so, just finishing would have been fine.  

I knew I was in trouble when there was very little water available at any of the aid stations including at the first one at mile 2, and there was no Gatorade available at any of the aid stations.  It didn't take long to become extremely dehydrated in that heat with no Gatorade and very little water, in fact the mile 16 aid station had nothing, not even water. The only Gatorade I got was at mile 11 from my family who got it from a Jewel.   

With this, I can understand why they made the decision to end the race, as so many people were dehydrated from lack of fluids. But I don't understand how they aren't taking responsibility for not having the fluids available for the runners.  Sure, I've heard the arguments of people using the water to cool themselves, but I've got a few problems with that theory- First, were people pouring water on themselves at the first aid station 15 minutes into the race? and were people also pouring Gatorade on themselves to stay cool which is the only explanation for how they would be out of Gatorade already at the first aid station. I would like to hear the race directors come up with an explanation for that. It's a shame the 30th anniversary had to be remembered this way.  I think a refund for those who didn't have the opportunity to finish is the honorable thing to do.

Either way, I hope they have enough fluids for next year's race - no excuses.

Sent by: Kenneth Mathas | Oct. 9, 2007 6:34PM


During the marathon around mile 18, I stopped to help someone who dropped their phone which had fell and broke into 10 pieces. Anyways, I stopped to help her pick up a piece of her phone and kept on running, and a girl named Jamie from Colorado came up from behind me and said she had never seen such camaraderie in a marathon before. I was hurting pretty badly and almost crying, and she asked me what my name was and she was like 'C'mon Lisa let's go.' and so we ran the next 5 miles together and she pretty much saved me from having to stop and give up.  I had pretty bad cramps the last 6 miles of the race, but then Jamie found me at the finish line and we congratulated each other and it was so nice to meet someone from another state, and we had no idea who each other was, and here we ran the marathon together!!  Anyways I hope we could keep in touch but I never found her after the finish line.

Also,my Mom saw a man collapse on the straight away of the finish line and go into a seizure. It took the police 20 minutes to find a medic, they didn't know what to do. The fans were waving signs and put a blanket over him to cool him off, finally a medic came and put ice under the man's arms and around his neck.  She said she thought he was going to die it was scary to watch.  I think the marathon organizer's did have enough water for everyone but people were taking way more water than what is typical and so that contributed to the lack of water.  I finished in 4:50 and I had water at every stop although it was hard to get to.  I was supposed to run a 3:40 marathon, but like I said I only finished in 4:50 due to the heat.

Sent by: Lisa M. Wennerberg | Oct. 9, 2007 3:26PM


I have the same story to tell that everybody else does. I did not have proper hydration or cooling measures given to me during the Chicago Marathon. This was unacceptable. Like many other runners, I absolutely took responsibility for the potential danger I was putting myself in and made the choice to drop out at mile 12 after suffering through 7 miles with no fluids. Like many other runners, I will not let this go until the organizers also are willing to accept and consider the mistakes they may have made. Their continued resistance to admit their failures is what has made so many of us continue to stay angry and in the public eye with regard to this story. We need to make sure measures are taken so that this does not happen again. 

LaSalle Bank's refusal to admit any responsibility, leads me to believe that we are far, far from reaching a point where we can even begin to talk about solutions. This really concerns me.

Sent by: Staley Krause | Oct. 9, 2007 3:18PM


Hi, I was able to officially complete all 26.2 miles in 3hrs 57mins. I was never diverted and the only time I heard the race was "canceled" was when I was making the turn onto Roosevelt from Michigan Ave. (yeah, as if I'd stop or walk it in from that point). I'm from Miami so I'm well versed in training in heat and humidity. It's not unusual here to have 90+ degree days with way over 80% humidity. The importance of keeping hydrated cannot be repeated enough. I give the city of Chicago and the race organizers credit for making the call to stop the race given the situation. I also give the crowd and residents along the course a huge round of applause for everything they did to push us along.
 
To those runners criticizing the organizers and the city for their decision, dehydration can creep up then hit you like a ton of bricks. Had you not been diverted or stopped you may have also ended up in the hospital or worse. As far as the level of supplies, I saw plenty of water and gatorade at every stop. I don't doubt the people that said supplies ran out and if they did, that's definitely a problem. Also, two miles between stops, especially on a hot day, is too much. Bottom line it was a logistical miscalculation providing even more credit to the organizer's decision to stop the event. They realized they had a problem and did what they could to avert a total catastrophe.
 
I do have a problem though if race officials diverted people back onto the course from other areas, as I've heard, to cross the finish line without doing the entire 26.2. Organizers still have a duty to maintain the integrity of the official times for those that finished the entire course. If you're going to allow people that didn't complete the entire race to record an official chip time, you may as well erase the times of everyone that ran that day.. including the top finishers.
 
I'm already planning my trip to Chicago for next year's Marathon. You have a beautiful city with warm and caring people and that's the real story from Sunday's race. Thank you Chicago for a great weekend!
 
Sent by: Chris Simoglou | Oct. 9, 2007 2:18PM


Hi.  My name is Chrissy Kelly.  I am 24 and from Chicago.  This was my first Marathon experience.  Honestly, I know that I did the best I could with the situation I was provided.  You pay over a $100 for a race, you would expect to be provided with enough water to make it through the race.  I feel like I was robbed of what could have been a really great experience.  What I wish the race officials would do is say "Hey!  We messed up!  But, to make up for it, we will discount next year's race."  Or something to make us feel like they truly feel sorry for poor planning.  Not just trying to push the blame on the runners!  However, I really do want to thank all of the supporters and spectators.  The people of the city truly came out and helping the runners the best they could!  It was truly amazing!  There was a family on the north side who came out with small cups of orange juice and I feel like that little bit of hydration truly helped me get to my family who was waiting for me at mile 11.  Thank you so much!!!

Sent by: Chrissy Kelly | Oct. 9, 2007 1:34PM


This was my 8th consecutive Chicago Marathon and I will keep doing Chicago until my legs can't go anymore.

My name is Becky Kaminski, I am 37 years old and over the years I have learned a thing or two about running the Chicago Marathon.  I am fearful of running any other marathon, because I feel I will not get the same world class treatment that I have gotten doing Chicago.  The great expo, the aid stations, a fantastic course and the amazing spectators.  Personally, I think that about half of the runners who crossed the start line were ill-prepared or they were not thinking rationally. 

My first marathon took over five hours to complete and as the years have past along I have improved my times and was fortunate enough to be in Corral C this year.  By the way, for the entire week after my first marathon, I cried everytime a thought about it.  It was such a wonderful and amazing experience and that is why I am still doing Chicago today.  Back to this years race.  I received your email regarding the heat on Thursday of last week and it was then and there that my main goal was to finish the race safely no matter what my time was.  Also, I paid attention to newspapers and your website regarding the heat and to be mindful of not starting out too fast.  Plus, the message on the day of the race over the PA system - to slow your pace down.  Well needless to say, that didn't happen.  I was being passed left and right for the first ten miles of the race and in the back of my mind, I kept telling myself, that I will be passing up these runners by the time I get to mile twenty.  Guess what, I was passing them up by mile fifteen.  As I look at some of the finishing times, these people had reached the halfway point 20-30 minutes before me and in the end I ended up finishing ahead of them by 30-50 minutes.

As I was running the race, and getting through the middle aid stations, I knew eventually that water would run out.  I was noticing how much water people were taking.  I saw "water hogs" taking whole gallons of water and pouring it on their heads and bodies.  I also saw runners taking four to six cups of water at a time.  I am not a skinny runner and I had one cup of gatorade and took two cups of water.  I drank a cup and half of water and the other half of cup I poured on my head.  I felt totally satisfied until I reached the next aid station.  The sponges worked wonders on Archer Ave and I always take the free gel at mile 18.  With the expected heat, I also increased the number of Power Gels that I would normally have taken.  In the end, I felt pretty good.  There of course where times in which I was ready to stop and walk the rest of the way, but I just kept plugging away and by the time I reached a very long Michigan Ave, I knew that I was about to finish my 8th marathon.
 
Where was the media all those years when the weather was perfect, runners had plenty of water and gatorade, when the spectors and runners cheered as one?  The TV station and newspapers are giving the Chicago Marathon very cruel and bad coverage.  Regarding the 2016 Olympic bid, will there be 45,000 runners doing the marathon for the Olympics?  I think not.  I thought the media was smart enough to realize that people who are in the Olympics train for hours a day and are prepared for the heat.  Remember how hot it was for the last Olympic marathon in Athens?

In closing, it was the right thing to do when race officials decided to end the race.  Those people who are offended by the "fun run" statement need a reality check.  Entering a marathon takes time and effort.  If a runner has followed a training program and has done all the required "long runs" that person should very well know what his or her body can do.   If I was one on those people who were told to walk I would have.  If my body was giving me signs that it was not able to function properly, I would have stopped right then and there.  I heard from a good friend of mine, that one of the doctors who was treating heat exhausted patients, telling runners that they could no longer finish running.  Get this, some of these so called runners, heeded the doctor's advice and went back running.  I heard that a third of the marathon enteries are first timers, maybe they could be distingushed in the future, by a different color race bib, so volunteers can maybe pay more attention to them.  Not saying that this would have helped with this year's race.

So thank you so very much race directors, support staff and volunteers for another memorable year.  I can't wait for next year's marathon.  Also, you have my support as you receive all the negative comment and thoughts.  If you need any help in this effort, please contact me!!!!
 
Sent by: Becky Kaminski | Oct. 9, 2007 1:32PM


My wife and I ran the race on Sunday and finished all 26.2 miles, we were told at mile 19 that the race was canceled and we could be diverted back and get a medal, but we would rather finish the entire race and earn a medal even if it required walking when the police were making us, we took this chance on our own, like we did even starting the race.  I don't blame the organizers for starting the race, as it was peoples choice, but the race organizers keep saying they were prepared for the race, and didn't imagine people would be dumping water on themselves, how wouldn't they do this?  They talked of cooling stations, which were located past MILE 20!  Half the people didn't even get to Mile 20, why not have these, or misting stations every 5 miles to cool peoples body temps off.  There was talks of sponges at MILE 23, but none left when we arrived, why wouldn't they have these opportunities before mile 20, and you wouldn't have people dumping water on their heads and thus saving water for drinking.  If these precautions were taken I think a lot of people would be on their side, but they are not making any friends with the way they are reacting, with seemingly no compassion.  I don't expect a refund, or anything as we got our medal and had an unbelievable experience, just some thoughts on if this were to ever happen in the future.  The people of Chicago and EMS were the real heroes and made this race as safe as possible working as hard as they did treating people, and providing water and fruit out of the goodness of their hearts.  A big thank you to all of them

Sent by: Ken Padgett | Oct. 9, 2007 1:25PM


Chicago, thank you thank you thank you for being out to support us runners on Sunday!  You make Chicago the great race it deserves to be.  A special thanks to those spectators and businesses who handed out their own water so we could stay hydrated!  You can bet I'll be back next year.  My only concern is that the race director has to accept responsibility and take at least some of the blame for the lack of water on the course.  Yes, the runners took multiple cups!  Anyone would who is dehydrated and in danger of not finishing the race.  More water (at more stops), more misters, and maybe a general call for the public to help BEFORE THE RACE.

Thanks again, Chicago!  You're my favorite big city and my favorite race!

Sent by: Ed Burgess | Oct. 9, 2007 12:46PM


As a spectator of the 2007 Chicago Marathon and as a wife of a second time LaSalle Bank Marathon runner I would like to inform the public of the truth of the running conditions on Sunday.

I would like to say that the director of the Lasalle marathon owes all of the participants a deep heartfelt apology for the incorrect information that has been said in relation to the water & Gatorade situation that existed on the course.  Perhaps had the race been properly prepared for the race never would have even been canceled

My husband (who was at a five hour pace to finish – as noted by the pace runners) attempted to get water, gatorade at the 1st "official" water stop – by that time they were already out!!!!

Again at the second official water stop there was no liquid – and they had already begun to tear down the tables and disassemble the tables and water station itself.  For the director of the marathon to say that there was water available at all stations is absolutely untrue.   To fundamentally miscalculate the amount of water, Gatorade, etc needed by runners and then not to have other things like fans or misting stations in other areas along the race is absurd.  Additionally, the director mentioned that it was the runners who were taking multiple cups of water and rather than drinking it dumping it on their head.  Well of course they could do this – it was warm out and there wee no misting stations provided – so they were forced to do this!!!!  Not to mention that should have been accounted for in the amount of water required given the advanced warning of very hot weather for the day of the race.

Also to say that people were confused by the existence is completely false as well – it was at these official stations – as evidenced by the staff shirts/jackets that were out of water & Gatorade.  My husband and another finally had to stop at a gas station at mile 5 in order to get any fluid.  The only reason that more runners were not killed or injured due to the lack of proper hydration is that the neighborhood communities came together.  It was the neighborhoods along the race route that were pulling their garden houses into the street for people to drink from, running out with glasses of water from their own house & the convenient stores pushing out grocery carts into the course filled with beverages ( at their own cost).  I applaud these individuals who stepped up and took responsibility for helping the runners – something that the LaSalle seems unable to admit to coming far short of. 

Also, there are many other marathons that have regrettably been run in warm conditions but these did not result in the horrific conditions that existed in Chicago .  The LaSalle Marathon had no fans set up along the course, no misting stations or cooling stations along the route.  It was not until after the race had been canceled that the city sent buses to pick up people to help them cool down.  Also, had the LaSalle race officials been paying proper attention had they noticed that water was running out already at the first stop for at least half of the runners they would have seen that this was a problem that would have persisted and only worsened.  This should have been a huge red flag for the race officials that either the fluid situation needed to be corrected immediately or that the race needed to be canceled much sooner than they did as the water & heat situation only worsened as the race continued.  My family personally ran in and bought the 8 remaining bottles of Powerade we found at a Jewel and were handing them off to people or filling their cups as they ran by. 

There were many participants that belonged to charity groups as my husband does that trained & raised donations for months in preparation for this who were sorely disappointed with the termination of the race.  Not to mention that these runners had poured their heart and soul into the causes that they were running for.  Many were out there running in honor or in memory of loved ones – my husband himself is a cancer survivor and runs with Team in Training.  While they understand the safety of why they canceled the race the timing seemed to be late and had the race been properly organized in the beginning many of these runners should have been able to finish.  The overwhelming feeling from other runners in his group that ran and others who participated is a great sense of frustration with the lack of necessary supplies and then the seemingly blame put on the runners and the weather than the real cause of why the race had to be canceled.  These were not runners who were out there casually running a marathon – these were well prepared, well trained and soundly healthy people who were stopped because they were not given adequate supplies.  In many of the practice runs during the summer and even for the Chicago Classic the weather was equally as bad but because they were very well prepared for the practices and races continued without injury, harm or death to the marathoners.

I sincerely hope that the people from LaSalle who organized so poorly for this marathon realize that they should take responsibility for their actions or lack thereof.  Not only that but to apologize to the runners who wanted nothing but to finish nothing more than to finish their race – no matter what the time.  And most importantly I hope they learn from the many errors that were made so that in the future the participants are cared for properly, kept safe and are able to complete what they have trained so very hard for.  The marathoners invested their time, energy, spirit and finances into this event and deserved a safe environment in which to run.  They are all sorely disappointed with the outcome.

Sent by: Colleen Hintz | Oct. 9, 2007 11:17AM




Hi -
I ran, survived and finished the 2007 Chicago Marathon.  I was my 7th marathon and my 25th marathon overall.  I have seen it all up until this marathon.

I was running with the 3:55 pace group for the first half and I was fortunate enough to get the necessary water my body demanded.  What I did notice that instead of having water stations every mile - they were every OTHER mile.  I even emailed my folks about it at mile 15 since I wasn't getting enough water - not because there wasn't enough water at the water stations but rather - there weren't enough water stations to begin with.  The rule of thumb for hydrating during a marathon in intense heat is:  Take in 6 to 12 oz. of fluid every 15 minutes.  Well unless you're an elite runner - getting to a water station that is 2 miles away in hot weather is going to take you a lot longer than 15 minutes.  In the heat it would take 20-25 minutes if not longer and over the course of a marathon - you would still end up dehydrated.
So what I would like to know is - with the heat warnings, the increased field size to now 45,000 - why did the marathon organizers go from 1 water station every mile last year to 1 every 2 miles this year?   I think that was a mistake in itself.
 
Thank you,
Jeannine

Sent by: Jeannine | Oct. 9, 2007 10:24AM


My twin sister and I ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.  We are recreational runners. I have run for 28 years and it was my ninth marathon.  My twin sister Pat has run for 18 years and it was her sixth marathon.  We turned 62 on 10/08/07.

We were close to mile 22 when we heard that the marathon was stopped.  We then walked the rest of way through the finish line.  We made it the entire way because we slowed our pace, drank gatorade and YES we poured water over our heads to COOL DOWN.

At mile 11 which was 2 hours into the race for my sister and me, we encountered water being sprayed into the crowd of runners for the FIRST time.  Through out  that mile there were about 4 or 5 people spraying water into the crowd with garden hoses.  We then ran 4-5 more miles before any fire hydrants were opened or more water was sprayed on us by hoses from fire trucks.  After the race was stopped, we encountered more fire hydrants and mists to cool us down.  Too little too late.

All the water stations were unprepared beginning with the first.  We had to wait to get water and gatorade while the volunteers poured. 

My twin sister's daughter was at mile 17 when the marathon was stopped.  At mile 14, she encountered no water or gatorade.  Runners didn't pour gatorade over their heads. 

Officials didn't provide the mists to cool runners down soon enough so runners poured water over their heads. There also should have been water stations at every mile. Luckily there were not thousands down.

Race officials are not very informed if they do not know that runners pour water over their heads to cool down.   

Officials are shifting the blame from themselves to the runners.  They did not plan well enough.  Maybe 45,000 runners is too big for Chicago to handle.  

Sent by: Kathy Connell | Oct. 9, 2007 7:38AM




I'm tired of hearing people whine about the marathon! It's time to take responsibility for your own actions. You knew it was hot and humid. If you chose to run, it's your responsibility to see you have enough water or Gatorade, not the city.  The city provided water to drink. If runners wasted it on dousing themselves, it's not the city's fault. No one forced you to run the race. If you chose to do so, quit whining. Get over it, move on and take responsibility for your choice! The city already has to clean up the mess you left. They ought to make the runners clean the streets!

Sent by: Barbara MacLean | Oct. 9, 2007 7:25AM


Chicago marathon is inflating the finishing numbers by including those that were diverted half way, and walked across the finish line backwards.  They never came close to 26.2.  See link and results http://www.realbuzz.com/en-us/forum/index?pageID=1996&topic=60033

Sent by: Annette Wilkeron | Oct. 9, 2007 6:15AM


I am alarmed by the news reports that stated that marathon officials were prepared for Sunday's Marathon.  I'm also alarmed at reports about how to stay properly hydrated. This was my fourth marathon and I've done many more triathlons. I know how to stay hydrated if hydration is provided.

I was running @ an approximate 11:15 to 11:30 mile early on, and I can assure you that everyone running at that rate witnessed what I witnessed.

There was not one drop of water OR Gatorade at the second aid station, which if you look on the official marathon map is approx 3.2 miles into the race.  This means an entire group of people at my speed and slower had to run from the 1st aid station at approx State and Madison (around mile 1.8) all the way to the 3rd aid station to (mile 5.8) get into long lines for any form of hydration. 

Please call the gas station at LaSalle & Clark and they will attest to the number of runners going in to get a sports drink. Again, please note this gas station is before the 3 aid station. 

My point is a very large group of people had to run approx. 4 miles without proper hydration at the very start of the race.  This is a recipe for disaster. I had already stopped sweating around mile ten. This is the first tell tale sign of dehydration.

My point is I believe that the majority of the news reports are leaning towards letting off race organizers to easily. Yes, conditions were hot and humid, and yes faster runners were taking more of their share of water to pour over themselves. But they surely would not pour Gatorade over themselves as I can assure you is a sticky mess.  This points to not being prepared.  In conclusion I think errors were made early on, which lead many knowledgeable runners, including myself, to literally wilt and dehydrate quickly and early in the race.

We should have been giving a better chance to beat the heat with the proper hydration support and more misters or sprinklers provided by the race officials, not the fire department and friendly people along the route.

For the record, this year I was running under someone else's name who could not participate as I did not sign up in time. Her name is Mimi Cowan (bib #40783). I urge you to find other racers from my pace to ask them about this under-reported fiasco early on in the race.  Please don't let race official get away with statements that are far from truthful.

Thanks!

Sent by: Paul Benigno | Oct. 9, 2007 5:17AM


My name is Stan Ketcik, I am 48 years old and this was my to be first Marathon.  First of all I would like to thank all of the people who lined the streets of Chicago to cheer the runners.  It was amazing and something I'll never forget.  They were so inspirational and generous, handing out high fives, and sometimes offering water with their hoses and ice.  I'll also never forget watching "Extra Mile" Marathon wrap up show last night on CBS.  When I heard Carey Pinkowski, the Chicago Marathon Executive race director, say that they're the best at what they do, and that they had water and Gatorade at all of their 15 designated stations, I wanted to reach through the TV screen and strangle him.  Actually a better punishment would have been to have him strap on his shoes and run beside me during the marathon. The water debacle at yesterday's marathon should cost him his job. "Nice job Brownie" (Perhaps technically he was telling the truth, they did have water at all 15 stations, they just didn't have ENOUGH water and when they ran out many runners went without fluids)

To start the marathon I lined up with the 12 minute mile pacers.

I thought it was better to be safe than sorry in the heat so there was no use in trying to keep up with my usual 10 minute mile pace.  The first 2 miles went by like a breeze.  At the first fluid station there was water and Gatorade. I thought, wow this is great, it's very warm but if I take it slow and keep hydrated I'm going to be ok.  When I got to the second station I remember running over thousands of cups, we were dying for a drink but the people who were supposed to hand out water said to keep going, they were out of water.  WHAT? How can this be? It's the hottest day in the history of Chicago Octobers and there is no water?  I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come out of nowhere and say…"Just kidding, you've been punked." As it turns out we were not punked.  We were being treated to a day of hell.

The third aid station was out of Gatorade but they had water. Nothing at the 4th station.  Absolutely ridiculous!!!   Luckily my running partner Annmarie Anfield was carrying money, and at some point she ran into a White Hen and got each of us a 32 ounce bottle to carry during the race.

Around the 15 mile mark I heard a rumor that they were going to cancel the race and indeed when we had reached 17 miles we were told by police officials that the race had been cancelled.  They said there were no more paramedics, and there were no more hospital rooms available.  They informed us that they were closing the course and we had to walk back to Grant Park.  We were told if we crossed the finish line we would get our Medals.

So yesterday was kind of an accomplishment, kind of a disappointment.  Two years ago I gasped at trying to run 1 mile.  Last year I ran my first 5-k. This year with all of my training I was going to complete the Chicago Marathon.  So, I crossed the finish line, I got my medal, but technically because of the race cancellation I only did 20 miles.  They said they were canceling the marathon and calling it a "Fun Run."  It should have been called a "Run through Hell" with Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski's picture sporting devil horns on the official race logo.

I will be back next year, I'll go 26.2, (unless they cancel it again) and I'll be sure to carry my own water!!! 

Sent by: Stan Ketick | Oct. 9, 2007 12:23AM


Greetings,
 
I myself was not a runner in the marathon but a spectator and a fan rooting on my family member and other runners. I have some complaints that I hope can get addressed in the future. Once the Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon was called off, the finish line / waiting area became a complete mess of chaos. There were thousands of people everywhere running around trying to find their friends and loved ones who were running the marathon and all the people were trying to get answers of where the runners were being brought to and where they were now. To top that, if you went to ask a volunteer where a loved one was, you couldn't find a volunteer or someone who was working the event to answer your questions. The only workers I could find were the people working the spotting towers and a few medical personnel on golf carts. For some reason the workers that worked the runner information booth all left the booth after the marathon was canceled. The workers were there before they race was called off but didn't give you any info on where someone was. In my case my brother in-law crossed one of the marathon check points which was logged on their computer around 11 a.m. At 1230 p.m., he still had not crossed the finish line. The way he runs, he should have crossed it by then or should be very very close to crossing the finish line. Around 1245 p.m. they called the race and then the fans went crazy. Not one event worker did a thing to settle people's nerves or try and help them with their loved ones. It took my family over 3 hours to finally find our loved one. He told us he was picked up in a bus around 11:30 a.m.-noon due to heat exhaustion and was transported around the track in a bus until 130 p.m., at which point he was dropped off approximately 5 blocks south of the finish line and was told to walk to the finish line. By the time he got to the finish line he was lost and confused on where to find the family reunion meeting point in Grant Park. He found a person who let him use their cell phone to call us and get directions to us (He is from central IL. and not familiar with Chicago). During this time, not one person working the event would help him or direct him where to go. Another issue was in the Grant Park area by the finish line / holding area for spectators. For the 4 plus hours my family and I waited there for our relative, we not once found a place to buy water, gatorade or even a drinking fountain. With this being said, the marathon was worried about heat exhaustion, but the spectators in the marathon controlled area could not get a drink to stay hydrated. During the time we waited for our runner to get to us one of my other relatives became heat sick.
 
I hope this helps get answers from the marathon people but most of all, i hope they fix some of these problems before someone dies due to negligence.

Thanks,

Craig

Sent by: Craig | Oct. 8, 2007 10:33PM


I wanted to send everyone a little note on how the Chicago Marathon went.  It was unbelievably hot!  I'm sure everyone had heard on the news that it was the first time in 30 years that they had to call off the race in the middle due to an emergency situation. 

Challenging isn't the word for it. Some friends of mine (Dave & Anthony Markowski, Dale Lutz) and I ran together.  The aid station at around the 3 mile marker was completely out of both gatorade and water and they were announcing that fact to runners as we ran through. The tables were actually closed up and placed against the walls of buildings.  By about the 5th mile they were out of water again and there was a large group of people hovering over one barrel of gatorade and if you didn't already have a cup you were out of luck because you had to dip your cup into this bucket that was on the ground in order to even get a little. 

Luckily we were near the Lincoln Park Conservatory and there was a large decorative fountain that people were splashing themselves with and people were actually dipping cups into the fountain in order to ge water. I tried to warn people not to drink that water in that it might not be safe and I remember since I had been to the Conservatory once before that there was a drinking fountain inside the building.  We led a couple of people there and were able to get some water. 

I do perspire alot when I excercise and I am familiar with the signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion from the military and previous marathons and I knew I was in bad shape at that point.  I continued on but alternated between walking and running. I told the other guys to run ahead of me because they were holding out better in the heat.  Dale had our cell phone and called our wives who were waiting at the 14 mile point and they purchased some water at a local shop. 

The water started back up again at about the 8 mile mark but I did not see Gatorade for the entire race except for the first water station.  My heart rate was already racing even when I was just walking and I knew I was dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion. 

I should have stopped there but many times your determination causes you to do things that in hind sight are not that intelligent. I managed to make it to the 14 mile marker and reunited with the guys and our wives.  I had a talk with God and said that I would continue to run as far as he would allow me to.  I had a banana and some water and continued on to about the 16 mile mark when we learned that we were being re-routed down Jackson and the Marathon was cancelled.  (I guess that was as far as God was allowing me to go.)

It was really erie at that point, when you heard the police telling everyone to stop running and the helicopters announcing the same thing.  Also the sound of constant sirens and seeing ambulances from all over the suburbs responding to Chicago's aid was surreal. 

I can tell you what I did see that was extremely encouraging ...Everyone helping everyone else.  I realize that this wasn't a terrorist attack or a natural disaster but there were certainly thousands of people in need and everyone along the route was great.  First of all the police and firefighters were unbelievable!  They were everywhere.  After about the 15 mile mark it seemed that there was water everwhere as far as firehoses and hydrants being utilized to hose everyone down.  You couldn't stay dry.  It was awesome.  The citizens of Chicago were equally unbelievable.  I wish I had taken a camera with to capture the number of private parties who were spraying garden hoses, providing nourishment in the form of whatever candy or fruit they had available or providing assistance to persons who were faltering.  There were local businesses bringing out whatever what they had in the way of bottled water and ice.  It was a delight to see a tough situation bring out the best in peop  le rather than the worst.

I don't really see a need to place blame on anything else other than the abnormally high heat and humidity.  I've run the marathon 3 times before and finished each time and had a fun time doing it.  I realize that organizers had a weeks notice about the heat and that running out of water and gatorade by the 2nd aid station probably could have been prevented with a substantial increase in liquids and maybe the use of misters could have reduced the need for people to poor water on themselves rather than drinking it but people will do what they need to in order to survive. 

I think the City of Chicago's response was outstanding and I believe that the only responsible thing to do once the medical assistance was stretched to capacity and the liquids were out or running out was to cancel the marathon.   Our sympathies go our to the family of the 35 year old Midland Michigan police officer (Chad Schieber) who died at about the 19 mile mark.

The experience this year has not kept any of us from wanting to do it again next year (To the agony and disbelief of our family and friends :-)

I want to thank everyone again for your support and prayers.

Sent by: kathy glassford | Oct. 8, 2007 10:26PM




I was a spectator and one of the people in our group suffered heat exhaustion. In our efforts to find help we were given the number of the medical tent.  We were then told they were only helping runners, not spectators!  I couldn't believe it.  They said call 911, which I did immediately.  The wonderful fire department showed up immediately and we walked them through Grant Park to get to her.  Imagine my surprise when an ambulance was sitting there and we were told they couldn't help because she wasn't a runner.  They were literally sitting in the ambulance.  Thank God for the Chicago Fire Dept.  My husband was going to put his medal and his bib on her and say she was a runner.  Since when are people in distress designated second class because they aren't running.  Heat exhaustion is heat exhaustion.  This young girl was in a panic and breathing in a bag, sweating profusely, obviously in distress.  She was transported to Rush where she was given two bags of fluid.  She is still short of breath and going to her doctor today.  I am still in shock at the amount of help we did not receive.  This was a mess for everyone, not just the runners.  This was my husband's fifth Chicago marathon, maybe he'll run somewhere else that way he knows if I keel over waiting for him, that someone might pick me up.


Sent by: Nancy Powers | Oct. 8, 2007 7:25PM




I tell you, what a disaster it was yesterday.  I was one of the lucky ones to finish the race and finish healthy (just some sore legs and a few nasty blisters on my feet).  I have to tell you, this was one of the worst experiences I've had.  Our spectators totally saved us.  My running partner had her cell phone with her and when they were out of water at the second aid station, we called ahead to ask our spectators to bring water for us.  Between family and friends, we were able to get about 5-6 bottles of water and some ice at various places on the course.  Without that, I don't think we would have made it.  The race was a total disaster.  It was like a war zone out there.  Very discouraging to go past aid stations with the tables all folded up and saying they were out of water (even before race was cancelled).  People were just in a panic over the water.  When you did find a station with water, people were swarmed.  Others were trying to drink out of hoses, fountains in the park, water spigots on people's houses and even decorative fountains in front of buildings.  My husband said the two times he went to buy water for us, he had gotten the last couple of bottles and there were lines of runners in there trying to buy water, gatorade, etc.  Two of my friends had runners come up and beg them for the bottles of water they were drinking on the side of the road.  It was really a state of desperation.  Seeing people laying on the sidewalks everywhere was scary and every medical tent we passed was full. It was all very surreal and almost seemed like something that could be made into a movie.
 
If it wasn't for the spectators who came out with their hoses, bottles of water and ice, I think it could have been far worse.  It's unfortunate that LaSalle Bank knew for nearly a week that there could be record high temperatures and still didn't adequately prepare.  I've heard the news stories saying that it must have been the "unofficial aid stations" that ran out of water--the ones that the neighborhood people set up.  We were there and know the truth.  I'd estimate that one in every 3-4 aid stations was out and these were clearly the official aid stations.  I also find it preposterous that race officials are now trying to blame the water shortage on runners pouring water over their heads.  This is a very common thing for runners to do (the elite runners were seen doing this multiple times and they were on the course for a much shorter period of time in less heat) and how that couldn't be anticipated is crazy.  When you're paying over $100 for a "supported race", you expect the support to be there.  Even the email that we received the week before the race mentioned the heat and how we needed to be sure to take in enough fluids and utilize the aid stations.  Yet then we hear that race officials only planned on 50-70K servings of water per aid station in a race that had 45K registrants.  That's less than 2 cups of water per person.   So, I get to wear my marathon shirt and jacket now, but do have some mixed emotions--a sense of pride and accomplishment in finishing with such horrid conditions, but a sense of sadness for those who weren't able to finish and the race being cancelled.
 
Sent by: Carlene Klaas | Oct. 8, 2007 7:20PM


Hi. My name is Kurt Wepprecht and I ran in the marathon.  I was at mile 20 when I was instructed that the race was over and to return to Grant Park.  I was already ill from the heat at that point and had been pushing myself.  I started walking east on Cermack when I became so exhausted that I could hardly walk.  Then out of nowhere a man walked up ask me if was OK, he stayed with me for over an hour.  The man (his name was Jeff) walked with me to a convenience store bought two bottles of water, one for me to drink and the other to pour over my head, he paid for them and would not accept any money.  Jeff kept my spirits up and helped me to a spot where my wife could pick me up.  I wanted to get his address to send him and his wife (who finished the marathon) a thank you but he would not hear of it.  Jeff said that he was in the army and they never leave a man behind and it is just what people should do for one another.  I know for certain that if he had not been there that I would have ended up in hospital.  I am not someone who necessarily believes in guardian angels but I think that I have changed my mind.  
 
Sent by: Kurt Wepprecht| Oct. 8, 2007 7:16PM

Everyone needs to know the truth.
*Myth#1
The truth is I started running my third marathon with the 5:30 pacing group which is right in the middle of the pack.  Every water station for the 1st six miles had no water or Gatorade and every water station for the 1st eight miles had no Gatorade.  Now if the lying race coordinator, Cory, was right in actually blaming the runners for dumping multiple glasses of water on their head; did anyone care to ask why they were out of Gatorade for the 1st eight miles.  Were the runners dumping the sticky Gatorade on their heads, too? Volunteers were actually packing up the tables when we were approaching and telling us to go to the next one where we were met with the same message.  It is a complete outrageous BOLDFACE lie to say that he received no calls from his station managers about any water troubles!
 
*Myth#2
 People were allowed to continue if they crossed the 1/2 way point by noon. BOLDFACE lie.  I have a text message as proof that I cross the 13.1 mile mark at 11:23am and I was forced of the course by police officers who forced us to walk to Grant Park or get on a cooling bus.  I appreciate the PR machine at Lasalle Bank but I bet we can find 2-3000 runners who disagree with the notion that we were given a chance to finish.
 
*Myth#3
The Michigan police officer died only from mitral valve prolapse and the death had no relation to heat.  This report by the coroner is ridiculous.  Almost all cardiologist would have cleared him as his physician did for the race and would have told him to properly train for it.  It would be like hitting the lottery for mitral valve prolapse by itself to kill someone.  I am sure the city and the Lasalle folks would want the death to be heat related given the fact they were GROSSLY negligent and he was young and trained appropriately.  Do your own digging and see what some prominent cardiologists would say with the coroner's statement, "This death was related to mitral valve prolaspe and was not related to heat."  I would suggest contacting Dr. Robort Bonow who is chief of Cardiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and getting his opinion (he was also my mentor). I feel like reaching out to the family begging them to get an independent autopsy.
 
*Myth#4
The runners are to blame for the water shortage.  How do they claim they never ran out of water and the next day say that runners dumped 2-3 cups of water on their heads per station and that they were to blame.  They called this unexpected!  If you actually look at running magazines, they actually suggest drinking half and dumping the other half on your head to dissipate the heat.  How are the Lasalle bank folks who are organizing not their 1st but their 30th marathon say they did not anticipate this? Ludicrous!
 
I beg you guys to keep on this story and don't let the spinmeisters sweep it under the rug.
 
Sent by: Srinivas Reddy, MD| Oct. 8, 2007 6:50PM

I came over from Ireland where we trained in cold wet weather and it was the right thing to cancel it . It  was like a war zone people droping every where at mile 21. I think it was a heat problem so you can not blame Chicago city.

Sent by: Alec Gleeson| Oct. 8, 2007 6:19PM


I was a spectator at this years event.  The participants that are complaining that the race officials did not do enough to protect the participants, is ridiculuois.  If you decided to run, and I use that term loosely, as a high number of partic[ants were walking by mile marker 6 and 8, where I began watching, you should know your own body and it's limitation.
As this is a Maraton, a running event, is you have not trained enough to complete the 26.2 Miles, Stay off the track and give the real runners the resources to finish.  Those that are complaing about the officials are just looking for excuses for their shortcomings.

Sent by: Brian Weber| Oct. 8, 2007 6:11PM


It is so disturbing to me that race officials continue to deny what actually happened.  This was my first Marathon.  I trained for months and raised over $2800.00 for breast cancer research.  Since the heat bothers me tremendously, I revised my finish time expectations, wore a fuel belt and bought Mira Cool Bandanas to help decrease my temperature.  However, by the second water stop, there was no water or Gatorade available for us slower runners.  Thankfully, I had my phone with me.  I called my husband  and told him to bring Gatorade and water for the three of us running together.  We had that support from family and friends at mile 6, 9, 11, and 16.  Without their help, we would also have either been stopping to buy water or counting on the courtesy of the spectators.  BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ADEQUATE WATER AND GATORADE AT THE AID STATIONS.  MANY OF THEM WERE TORN DOWN. 

Race officials are not being honest.  In addition, Carey Pinkowski has said many times that it is the every day guy that also inspires him.  He helped create this marathon for the every day guy.  That is why every year over 5000 charity runners raise millions of dollars for over 20 charities.  Those of us that trained, that revised our finish time expectations and had support would have treasured the opportunity to finish.  We were never even given that opportunity.  And it is insulting to print bogus finish times for some people and have new stations say that over 10,000 simply didn't finish, without adequately explaining what happened.  WE WERE FORCED OFF THE COURSE. 

Tell me Mr. Pinkowski, what should we say to all the donors that supported us because we were  attempting to do something that only a tiny percentage of the population ever tries?  I feel cheated by you and other race officials.  I am insulted that certain people who never truly finished had a "finishing time."  In many cases that time was beyond what their PR could ever be.  Shame on the race organizers.  You have insulted and disappointed many runners from Chicago and beyond.  You were ill prepared.  Do not blame everything on the weather.  If I or any of my colleagues were ever so ill prepared for such an event, we would be fired immediately.

Sent by: Maria Pandolfo| Oct. 8, 2007 6:09PM


I was very disappointed by the administration this year at the Chicago Marathon.  I ran last year and it was wonderful!  This year, by the time I reached the second aid station, there was no water or Gatorade left for the runners.  There was a volunteer on a bullhorn saying, "We're out of water – please go to the next aid station."  This was a common theme at many stations – they were out of water, Gatorade, or both, or the volunteers weren't able to keep up with the number of runners passing by.  I was able to call two groups of spectators that met me a total of four times along the course so I could get additional hydration, but for those runners who didn't have that luxury they were struggling by mile 10. 

Around mile 20 is when we were given the announcement that the race had been officially cancelled. Policemen and policewomen were telling runners to stop running and walk, and that following the next aid station the course was closed and we couldn't run or walk any further.  We were told that there were buses standing by immediately after the next aid station to take us back to the finish area.  We began walking, and after the aid station there were no buses, and the course was still open.  Many of us began running again, and were told once again around mile 22 to stop running and walk, but this time we could walk to the finish line.  At this point we kept running because there was no sign of the course actually being closed, and at mile 24 policemen were grabbing runners by the shoulders to make us stop and walk.  A few runners around me were being told by policemen that they would be prosecuted because they kept running instead of following orders to walk.  I began running after that policeman was out of sight, and ran to the end along with many walkers and a few others who were still running alongside me. 

The lack of central communication needs to be addressed with this marathon, and needs to be corrected for future years.  We were told several different things between mile 20 and 26.2, and no one knew whether we should keep running or stop to walk according to the information we were given.  I have seen the interview of the marathon administrator saying that they were adequately equipped with hydration, and that runners were pouring water over their heads instead of drinking it; this may have been true for those runners in the front of the pack, but by the time my 10 minute mile pacing group reached the second aid station, there was no water left to either drink or pour.  I understand that administration doesn't want to look unprepared, but it is unacceptable to blame runners for heat exhaustion and dehydration when there were stations out of water and/or Gatorade. 

I hope next year's marathon is much better prepared for its runners.  We expected the Chicago Marathon 2007 to live up to its reputation, and sadly it fell very short of expectations. 

Sent by: Sarah Swanson | Oct. 8, 2007 5:57PM


I am extremely upset at the way the Chicago Marathon was handled this year. C'mon, we who live in Chicago know that this past week has been hot. And all weather reports from Thursday on indicated that Sunday would be just as hot and humid. It's not that we just awoke Sunday morning to high heat and humidity! The race officials blew it. Plain and simple.
 
1.  The race should have been started at 6am. Any runner who lives in Chicago knows that you run very early or late when it's that hot and sticky. If started at 6am, most runners would then have finished by 11am; I find it incredible that the start time wasn't pushed back to 6am. Didn't they learn Boston's 2004 lesson?
 
2.  In this day and age of cell phone and instant communication, there is no excuse, absolutely none, for any water/aid station to be without anything. These "volunteers" were sleeping on the job. Who was their supervisor? Who was the point-man, the go-to person? Where was Carey? Where was CARA?  To be told that you're "too late" for water is not only rude but cruel.
 
3.  Watch any runner run in hot and humid conditions and you'll see that they always stop when taking a drink, and drench themselves with water to cool-off. Take a stroll in Lincoln Park and you'll witness this behavior; it's instinct. That Carey Pinkowski would think that runners would alter their instinct to accommodate his plan of using cooling buses to cool off is absurd. Why would a runner pluck himself from a race? To further suggest that it was partly the runner's fault that there was a shortage of water is just plain wrong.  
 
4.  To diminish the effort of any runner who participated in yesterday's marathon by announcing that it was now a "fun run" is also cruel and incredibly insensitive -- this from a World-Class City? To actually turn people away at the halfway point is equally as bad.
 
Carey Pinkowski and his crew failed the marathon and failed the great City of Chicago. Period.
 
Sent by: Dayle Orlove | Oct. 8, 2007 5:12PM


Now that the marathon is over is over, I just wanted to update you in case you haven't seen CNN this morning or any other news papers. In short...I'm OK.   Yesterday was one of the craziest days I have ever experienced in my years of running.  The weather was hot, but that is something that I was use to.  I have trained for this day all year through the hot days of July and August.  As the day came closer this weekend, I knew it was going to be a hot one....but I was prepared to handle it.  When we started yesterday morning at 8am, it was humid, so we knew it was going to be hot by the time we finished at around 12:15. 

I knew the race wasn't going well when I saw people stepping out to vomit at only 4 miles into the race...the medic tents were full of people suffering from heat dehydration and many people we starting to walk...even before we were at the halfway point.  I was feeling pretty good, but only because I had carried a bottle of Gatorade with me.  The water stops were understaffed and at one point it was nearly 2.5 miles between them.  I would hydrate at the stops and then fill my bottle to get me through to the next one.  I carried food on me and ate nearly everything I had.  The problem got worse as the race went on where I would get to a water stop and there would be no cups and only a couple tables with Gatorade of which people were just passing the jug around to drink out of....and once I had to pick up a crinkled dirty cup off the ground to get a drink.  I was getting fatigued faster than I normally do in this heat, mostly because there is little shade on the course from trees as we normally have in training in the forest preserve.  At  one point I got sick on the race, but I kept on running.  Heck, I saw dozens get sick so it seemed no big deal at this point.  However, I kept running as best I could at a slighlty slower pace and was still on target for finishing in under 4 and a half hours and beating my previous marathon times. 

At about mile 18 I witnessed a man collapse on the course.  They immediately started doing CPR on the man.  He wasn't moving at all.  I still don't know if this man was the one that died or not, but it truly put the day in perspective.  I saw another man that was well into his 70s running very slowly and he collapsed and fell and rolled while he hit the curb.  He was bloodied from head to toe, but luckily was conscious.  All I heard from the half way point on was the sound of ambulances...many of which had come in from the suburbs to keep up with the disaster relief.  But...I kept running.  I knew that if I slowed down or stopped, my legs would be so tight I wouldn't be able to get started running again.  Since I wasn't as well hydrated as I should have been my legs were more lethargic than normal and stopping running would have meant cramping in my legs and calves. 

And then the inevitable happened.... I had ran 22 miles and then we heard the news...THE MARATHON WAS CANCELED!!!  At first the police were yelling it to us, but we all ignored them saying 'yeah right'....  So we kept running...but then they forced us to.  I knew that if I stopped running my legs would cramp, so I tried to keep going.   One policewoman got in my face and yelled at me not to run.  So....they turned off the clocks and made us walk the remaining 4.2 miles of the course.  My calves, as expected stopped working and I had to walk with stiff legs the rest of the way, at the slowest pace known to man.  They had no buses for us, but made us walk through the rest of the course.  The the time I finally walked across the finish it was 5 and a half hours after I had started the race.  The walking portion took an hour and 40 minutes for me to walk only 4.2 miles due to my calves.  I talked to many walkers through that time.  All of us were astonished at how bad this race was organized and administered.  Being short on fluids with a record high temperature for the day in the high 80s....unbelievable.  Running 22 miles and not being able to finish the last four is just a kick in the face after months and months of training.  I was ready for this day but because of low fluids on the course, I believe this normally world renowned race has become a joke in Chicago.  Again, I'm not too sad, just very mad and sad for the others that were not as fortunate as me.  With over 300 being treated for dehydration, I am very lucky.  So far one death has been reported and that alone brings grief to this event.  I did sprint the last quarter mile in spite of the cops telling us not too with my brother and my husband.  I got a medal and my picture taken as I crossed the banner, but it just doesn't mean much this time around. 

I just want to thank you all for your support this year.  I am still collecting my last few donations for Children's Memorial Marathon Team, so feel free to still donate to that great cause by clicking on the link below.  I plan on continuing to run again, probably another marathon, but where, I don't know.  At this time I don't know if I can trust the abilities of the staff in charge of the Chicago Marathon and run it again. 

Thank you again for EVERYTHING and I hope to talk to all of you soon.  I appreciate everything you have done for me and for those of you who have donated to this great cause!

Take care and drink your fluids!

Sent by: Tabitha Stein | Oct. 8,2007 5:08PM


The fact of the matter is, it was the spectators and local businesses - not the marathon officials - who kept most of us going throughout the marathon.  I'm so incredibly disappointed in the statements the race director made regarding the aid stations. 

He said there was adequate water.  If there were, we wouldn't have had to run off the course to find water fountains around mile 3, drink water out of the decorative fountains/reflecting pools in front of high rises around mile 7 or run into the White Hen to get liquids after we realized there was no water or gatorade left at the aid station just after the half marathon point.  I heard one woman who was running near me say, "I've run 14 marathons, and I've never had to beg for water like this."

He said we runners might have mistaken the aid stations that local businesses set up as the official marathon aid stations and that the local business ones may have been the stations that ran out of water.  While my legs may have been slow that day, my brain certainly wasn't.  I knew where those official aid stations were supposed to be - I wrote them down in permanent marker on my forearm.  I ran through where they were supposed to be - where the street was littered with empty Gatorade and Hinkley Springs water cups - where there were official marathon volunteers raking away those cups and screaming, "WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE WATER!"  There was no mistaking it - those were the official aid stations. 

He said they were rerouting those who didn't make it past the halfway point before Noon.  I was there by 11:15.  And, as far as anyone thinking the slower runners' paces were because they were out of shape, it's totally untrue.  I spent many minutes during each mile trying desperately to find fluids instead of just running. 

If it weren't for the residents and business owners of Chicago and the friends and families of the marathoners who were out there that day, I wouldn't have made it past mile 7.  They were the ones who were resourceful enough to run into local stores and buy as much water as they could.  They were the ones who grabbed huge bins and filled them up with water so that we could drink out of them.  They were the heroes of the day - not the marathon officials.  I've seen newscasts that keep praising the marathon race director for shutting down the race.  He did what he had to do because of the fact that they didn't have enough supplies for all of their runners - and it saddens me that they're not taking responsibility for that.

Sent by: Theresa Chu | Oct. 8, 2007 4:56PM


My name is Brittany Lowen and I would like to share my thoughts on running the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
I do not agree with the comments that I have heard that there was not enough water. Were we at the same marathon?
This is the third time I ran the Chicago Marathon and the water stops are usually chaotic so you have to just slow down and get yourself in and grab water and/or Gatorade.

It is also important to note that there are several tables with Gatorade and several tables after that with water so if the first table is empty just move to the next table. This is standard procedure at a marathon.

I do not understand all of what happened with the cancellation of the race and closing of the course. I was able to finish the marathon, although I did hear a message from the Chicago Police Department when I was at Mile 22 (around 12:15 pm) that they were closing the course down, and we could continue to the finish, but please walk. So we continued on to the finish, some running and some walking. But we had come that far and were determined to get to the finish.

And even after that point, there was still plenty of water and Gatorade on the course. Just to validate my point, I finished in 4:59:10, not a fast time at all and I was out there for a long time and had enough water. It was a really hot day, but I think the marathon was prepared with extra water and Gatorade. They were handing out water soaked sponges to help cool you off sometime near mile 20 and there were a lot of city residents spraying you with their hoses which was appreciated. Many thanks to those spectators!

Thank you for taking the time to read this and considering another side to the story of the marathon's events.

Sent by: Brittany Lowen | Oct. 8, 2007 4:45PM


Hi ! I was approx. @ the 20 mile marker when it was announced that the "Marathon was canceled."  I felt good and strong.  I was upset that the Marathon had been canceled.  All I had was 6.2 miles to go and I knew that I could have finished (this was going to be my 4th marathon).  I was hot, but felt good.  I had plenty of water & gatorade at the desinated locations.  Also people from the communuity had their hoses out wetting us down to cool off, thank you. I just wish that the marathon had not been canceled.  All those months of training to stop @ mile marker 20.  I don't think I will run another Chicago Marathon again.

Sent by: Evelyn Lampignano | Oct. 8, 2007 4:29PM


I wish you would stop saying how 25,000 people finished the marathon because that is not accurate.  When alot of runners were told the race was shut down they were told to go back, they made them all cross the finish line.  It is saying my sister finished in 3:59 and she did not do the whole marathon.

Jane Dawes | Oct. 8, 2007 3:35PM

Five years ago, after completing the 25th anniversary Chicago marathon, I said my thanks and goodbyes to the marathon email inbox.  After a couple of years of unheard complaints, I thought it was time to seek other races.  For me, the Chicago Marathon had simply gotten too big to be enjoyable.  I had never thought back then about the safety hazards of a megarace that got to be too megabig.

Sent by: Mike Oliver | Oct. 8, 2007 3:08PM


Yesterday I was helping a friend of mine complete his second Chicago marathon.  I met him at the 13-mile marker.  I only completed the last half with him; thererfore, I cannot speak to the water stations that were on the first half of the course.  However, with regards to the marathon "running out" of water, that is simply not true.  Every water station from 13 miles and on was stocked with both water and gatorade.  In fact, all banana and goo stations were well-stocked, too.  I have run several marathons to date and would like to say that, although this was the hottest marathon in which I have participated, it was a well-stocked marathon in spite of the blistering weather conditions.  Runners were pouring the drinking water over their heads in an attempt to cool down.  With all of the wasted drinking water supply, I was amazed that stations were still stocked towards the end of the race.  My only suggestion for the staff was to move the start time up to 6:00 am (like Miami) which is a usual start time for warm-weather races.

Sent by: Steve Schneider | Oct. 8, 2007 2:57PM


I was one of those runners that did not get to finish my first marathon yesterday. I understand why the race was canceled, but with adequate supplies it should have never gotten to that point.
 
I am amazed that the organizers claim that they did not expect people to use the water to cool off by pouring it on themselves. This is not a new thing. What would have happened if 10,000 more runners were out there looking for water? I have heard some of the faster runners actually apologizing for taking more than one water.  I do not blame any of the runners before hand for doing what was necessary to finish. I am also surprised that the organizers did not see the lack of supplies in the Chicago Distance Classic and learn from that race. I am hearing all the claims of the organizers that there were enough supplies. If that is the case, then they were not well distributed, because we were running past tables that were already put away and we never saw a cup of Gatorade in the 16 miles we were able to complete.
 
I saw people in Lincoln Park going to fountains in the parks and in front of buildings to cool off. We passed the first 2 stations and there was nothing in sight. The poor volunteers were not given enough supplies and had to deal with some unhappy runners. Luckily I had some friends meet us at mile 8 with some water and Gatorade. Also, the great people of Chicago got out there with garden hoses and sprinklers to help the runners. Thank you for everyone who was out there helping us manage the conditions.
 
I am as frustrated as everyone else and I just want the chance to finish next year. Hopefully they will offer vouchers to anyone that is willing to give the Chicago Marathon another chance next year that was not given the chance to finish the race. It is the least they can do. To be honest with you, reading all the blogs and news reports I don't know how many people will the rushing to sign up next year.

Sent by: Patricia Nelson User | Oct. 8, 2007 2:12PM


So Cary Pinkowski says that the runners are to blame for the water shortages eh?

What sort of idiot is Cary Pinkowski? I mean this is what you get when some non-runner corporate type is in charge of a running event.

I did not see any cooling or misting stations, first of all... the only hydrants I ever saw open were on Jackson street after the marathon was canceled.

Second of all it is a very commonplace to do this - drink one, dump one. I think major running publications have recommended it.

I am sick of the spin and the blamestorming. We need a "buck stops here" sort of person leading such a major sporting event. None of the fingerpointing begins to speak to the central issue: that this race director was completely unprepared and as a leader he is absolutely responsible for that. Not the runners, not the aid station people.

Sent by: Ryan Pehrson | Oct. 8, 2007 1:21PM


It seems like the Chicago Marathon folks are creating their own "spin" on what really happened on Sunday.  Everything from stating that they were surprised by the heat, that they had adequate water and Gatorade, and that at 11:30 AM, people who were at the halfway point were diverted.  

This was my wife's first marathon.  She was well beyond the half-way point at 11:30 AM and was ordered by Chicago Police to head back to Grant Park.  She was in great shape and fully prepared.  She had not gone through the start until more than 20 minutes after 8 AM, and she said that between miles 6 and 10 there were no supplies.  She had her own water belts and gave some of her own water to other runners who could not get any water.

I suggest you look at the Chicago Marathon blog where runners have been posting their own personal experiences to get the realy story on what happened: http://www.realbuzz.com/en-us/forum/index?pageID=1996&forum=183

Sent by: Kevin Hyde | Oct. 8, 2007 9:47AM



I have a clarification regarding your story on the Chicago Marathon. I ran the Chicago Marathon in 5 hours (about one hour and half slower then normal). Regarding the water shortage on the course.  How the water stations are set up, you have water and gatorade on both side of the streets.  What was happening was that one side did run out of water and the other side still had some.  Now the ad station personal did direct people to the other side.  However I'm sure that some people might have not gotten that message. Thus the contradiction of stories in your report.  They never did run out of water and the race director was correct in cancelling the event at the time he did.  The real story is how many people can  the city of Chicago or any city handle in case of a mass emergency? This was the same issue that Boston Marathon had when I ran it in the spring.  In there case they had a nor-eastern.

Sent by: John Stringer | Oct. 8, 2007 12:41AM



With regards to the Chicago marathon, your news station and others are reporting that the marathon race director is claiming there was plenty of water at the aid stations. This is an outright lie! I have talked to and heard from many racers. Every one of them have stated that the aid stations were out of water. I know two runners, while not the fastest runners were still managing 10-10:30mile pace, who have said that the first two aid stations were not only out of water, but were packing up by the time they got there!

Sent by: Joe Fanning | Oct. 8, 2007 12:15AM



I am one of the first time marathoners who ran the Chicago Marathon. I made 23 miles before I was told I had to stop running. It was a mess. There was no clear sense of direction, everyone was confused, and there was no organazation to the marathon cancellation whatsoever! I understand that individuals' health is more important than being able to finish the marathon, and I do understand why they called it. My heart goes out to the poor family who lost a loved one. However, much of this could have been prevented if there was enough water and gatorade. I was watching your coverage tonight, and was furious when I heard the representative for LaSalle Bank speak! He said, "there were no stops that ran out of water." That was an absolute lie. I ran through the first two water stops, I was at a ten mile pace and they had already ran out! THE FIRST TWO!!! I had to call my parents to ask them to buy me water. When they rerouted us we were told it was because there was no water at the last 6 miles! I am disgusted that this individual would tell such a bold-faced lie, and disrespect the 18 weeks of hard training every runner went through!! I am asking for you to please make an annoucment on your news that these statements were ABSOLUTELY FALSE!! LaSalle Bank PR makes me want to throw up. They knew how many individuals would be running. The weather was forecasted to be this warm for the past week and a half. WE ALL PAID $110 to run this race. It is not rocket sceince to figure out how much water and gatorade will be needed. LaSalle Bank was ill-prepared!!! They had plenty of opportunity to plan for this and used no foresight at all! It just disgusts me that the LaSalle Bank representative would lie and not own up to their mistakes!!!! I understand why they called it, however if they would have been better prepared in the first place they would not have had to cancel it!!! The way the aftermath was handled made me absolutely sick to my stomach. If you could plea se please please set the record straight I would appreciate it. Thanks so much.

Sent by: Kate Collentine | Oct. 7, 2007 11:39PM



This was my first marathon.  This has to have been the most poorly organized event to date.  Not one water stop had water or gatorade until we reached the back loop in Lakeview.  In Fullerton at the Lincoln Park Zoo we were in the fountain and not the kind you normally drink from, the one with the statues with water shooting out of, trying to get drinking water.  Every water stop we went by the volunteers said they were so sorry they ran out of water so long ago.  When they did have water is was minimal and no cups.  The group and those around us were forced to grab cups at stops with no water and run on to the next stops hoping water would be there.  I finished the race with the greatest of pride, but my heart goes out to the spectators.  People brought us out gatorade from their houses, provided water hoses.  This race had nothing to do with pushing ourselves, this race had to do with organizers that endangered each and everyone of us.  If it was not for the incredible community we have in Chicago, I and those around me would not have finished.

I do feel a little let down by the Mayor's office, should they not have a form of oversight to ensure poorly organized events will lead to injuries.  I have trained for over 6 months, I never had one crap, today was heat and with the lack of water I stopped sweating and became dizzy until spectators gave me liquid.  I had friends cheering at mile 25.  45 minutes before I got there they heard race officials tell volunteers to stop serving water the race is over.  When I got to this point it was my friends and many other spectators that took it upon themselves to help us out.  Since volunteers had left.

I am so disappointed in the organizers.  Every runner deserves a public apology.  Being a Chicagoan I am also embarassed we had a HUGE opportunity to further showcase our incredible city to the nation and the world.  I fear many that experienced what I have will not return to our beautiful city.  If we cannot manage this how can we pull together the Olympics which everyone of us dreams of bringing to Chicago?

Sent by: Jim Parsell | Oct. 7, 2007 11:13PM



I ran the Chicago Marathon today.  It was not fun, it was not easy.  I do agree with a portion of what you are reporting regarding water shortages and such.  I was running a 10-12 minute mile through the race.  I finished in 4 hr 50 minutes.  I may have been ahead of the severe water shortages, but the waterstops did have water and gatorade.  However,  by the time I got to many of the water stops, several tables were already disassembled.  If one side of the street was out of water or gatorade the other side for the most part had it.  The tables were understaffed in the regards that at many of the tables were filling the cups as we arrived at them and then stuck the cup out to be filled.  Saying all of that though, it was bc of us runners that the water ran so low and they could not keep up.  I was taking 3 cups to drink and 2 cups of water to pour on my head.  Granted the race officials should have predicted this since the weathermen were calling for this record breaking hea t and humidity since last Tuesday.  I do applaud all of the spectators that gave me ice to help me cool down.  I applaud all of the volunteers that worked so hard today also in the heat.  The race officials did what they were told and asked us to stop running, but when a young girl at mile 19 told me to stop running due to the heat I felt as though she was joking.  Then at mile 22 when it was demanded of us to stop running and wait for a bus, my opinion was that I did not train for 18 weeks to be stopped when I was 4 miles from the finish (plus I was convinced that the race planners did not have the logistics worked out to get me back to the finish in a timely manner).  I have personally run 3 previous marathons.  I have had my experience.  Today, this debacle of a marathon is the worst for the first time marathoner.  My friend raised over $10,000 for the American Cancer Society this year in her father's memory.  She was pulled off the course at mile 16.  I think for her and  the runners just like her, this was a travesty.  I think the Chicago Marathon planners need to issue and official apology.  They need to send out and email with the marathons still planned from now till the end of November and they need to assist in paying the entry fees for these people who were pulled off of the course.  

For me it was an okay marathon b/c I finished even if it was under terminated course conditions.  But I do highly criticize the race officials for their poor foresight and planning.  I know that I will not run the Chicago Marathon again after this experience.

Sent by: Christina Matulis | Oct. 7, 2007 10:56PM



Please do not let them SPIN this marathon story. They are saying they had adequate supplies, but the large majority of runners are saying there was no water available. Some HEALTHCARE workers are saying they were not allowed to provide water in a timely manner to people who were down. Please follow this thread: http://www.realbuzz.com/en-us/Forum/index?pageID=1996&topic=59466&pageID=1996&page=3

Sent by: Ryan Pehrson | Oct. 7, 2007 10:27PM



Marathon Executive Race Director Pinkowski's denial that there were shortages in water is an insult to those of us who were out there today.  At the second aid station, just after mile 3, those of us in 5:15 pace group were greeted by empty water tables, no staff, and no liquids.  This was less than an hour into the race.  I am willing to accept that the unprecedented heat was difficult to deal with, I am also willing to accept that closing the race was necessary,  but Mr. Pinkowski needs to consider that he will very quickly lose the support of those of us who understand reason, if he continues to make these comments.

Also, reports have indicated that there were more than 24,000 runners who finished the race.  I "finished" the race, in that I was forced off the course at mile 16 and directed to the finish line so that my time and chip could be recorded.  In the computer I have a recorded finish time, but that does not reflect a true marathon.  Marathon officials need to be honesttruthful about how many of us really "finished."  

Sent by: A. H. | Oct. 7, 2007 6:48PM



How come no one is asking the organizers of the Chicago Marathon if water had been available at the first two water stops would there still have been 300+ people sent to the hospital? Their "for safety reasons" closing of the marathon sounds like them covering things up to me and hoping that you will not ask questions. My wife had no water until the third water stop (6 miles?). By then, people were already getting dehydrated and it was too late for many of them to catch up, they either dropped out or collapsed.
 
The organizers of this race had a week to bring in more water. It's obvious that on a day like today that water intended  for drinking would have been poured on the racer's heads and that perhaps triple the normal amount would have been needed.
 
Please look into this. Many people's first marathons were ruined, many foreign runners had the trip of a lifetime ruined and I think that many of the health issues that lead to the race been closed down were caused by the incompetence of the organizers.

Sent by: Gerald Joyce | Oct. 7, 2007 5:05PM



The statement that there was plenty of hydration on the course is a flat out lie! I didn't get water until mile 6 and then it was hit or miss. I brought 135 runners from Mississippi and the vast majority did not get to finish. We trained for 9 months with many runs in the 90 degrees just fine because we had plenty of hydration. This is criminal negligence!

Sent by: Mark Simpson  | Oct. 7, 2007 5:47PM



Chicago's bid to host the Olympics is a joke considering that the Chicago Marathon cannot even provide enough water to runners.  For Carey Pinkowski to say that there was enough water is an outright lie because he has to be aware of the dire conditions that existed. I crossed the 13.1 mile mark at 2:44 and the water was gone.  Such conditions reminded me of Hurricane Katrina.  The real heroes were the spectators and the business owners who were providing water at there own cost.  I am just really upset to hear Marathon officials deny what really happened to me and scores of other runners.  In doing so, they cannot correct a problem they refuse to acknowledge.  Also, for Carey Pinkowski to say that the weather was not predicted is almost comical when all the runners were sent heat advisories prior to the marathon.  This weather was clearly predicted and therefore they should have planned better and had more water, Gatorade and volunteers.  And if they did not have all of those things prior to the start of this Marathon, they should have canceled it before the fact.

Sent by: Lisa Maddy | Oct. 7, 2007 5:42PM



I just received a phone call from my friend who was running the marathon. She had to stop at a Shell Gas station to get water. There was none at the stops she went by.

Sent by: Karen Mehrbrodt | Oct. 7, 2007 5:27PM



Someone needs to tell the story of the unacceptable poor planning on the part of race organizers.  I hope that will be you.  I was running the race today, and there was no water or Gatorade even by the second water stop, when temperatures were their hottest.  Although I and my running partners escaped illness or death, very regrettably unlike some others, we would definitely have a strong legal against the organizers if we did.  They promised runners water at certain points along the course; indeed, it was in all of their printed materials.  They reneged on this agreement. My tip is to follow very closely what happens to those who have suffered from dehydration, there may be law cases in the works, and rightly so.

I and many of my fellow runners demand an public apology for this extremely poor foresight of a 30-year event.  Shame on them.

Sent by: Nikki Sullivan | Oct. 7, 2007 4:28PM



I just read the article in which the marathon coordinators denied any shortage of watergatorade.  I want to confirm what the other runner stated - that we went through many aid stations where they were folding up the tables and telling us they had nothing left.  After going through two aid stations in a row that had no water/gatorade I was re-routed to end the race early.

Sent by: Jamie  Steinmetz | Oct. 7, 2007 4:01PM



We were well past the halfway mark at 3 hours and the couse was SHUT DOWN. We were in no way given the option of continuing in any way shape or form.  In addition there was no water,cups or gatorade available at any of the aid stations. We were well prepared,were runinng a slower than normal pace and steady on course. Why weren't the race directors?  It is one thing to call the race because of the extreme weather, however the race organizers owe it to us as the runners to correctly portray the events as they unfolded today.  To attemt to portray the course as "open" is an injustice to all the runners who were forced to end their race.

Sent by: Peter Jones | Oct. 7, 2007 3:54PM



As a runner in  the marathon today can you find out who was resposible for not having water and gatorade on the course.  Every water stop was out everything.  Were they trying to kill everyone.  Thanks to all the local condo and stores that finally brought out water hoses to help the people. They would not have had to  shut down  the marthon if they had supplies.

Sent by: Jerry Heller | Oct. 7, 2007 2:41PM



Marathon is running running out of water and gatorade at hydration stations...  Please send help!!!

Sent by: Ann Marie Delliquadri | Oct. 7, 2007 10:53AM



My girlfriend is a runner in this, the hottest Chicago marathon in recent memory anyway. She is a pace group leader for 12 minute milers - first time marathoners. She's run one marathon here in Chicago before. Here's the issue. The aid stations sponsored by LaSalle Bank ABN Amro have run out of water, gatorade and other essentials! First time marathoners in this heat and humidity are coming through aid stations to find nothing left. Sounds to me like some greedy banker is a little too tight with the purse strings. In this heat, it could be a deadly mistake. This is a travesty. If you sign up to sponsor the marathon you must make sure there is enough aid for everyone at those aid stations!

Sent by: Ryan Pehrson | Oct. 7, 2007 9:27AM