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Chicago Marathon - Photo: Helmut Winter
2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Elite Field Updates
Marathon:
• Elisha Rotich (KEN) has withdrawn from the elite men’s open race
• Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) has withdrawn from the elite women’s open race
• Manuela Schär (SUI) has withdrawn from the elite women’s wheelchair race
2022 Bank of America Elite Athlete Quotes
Carey Pinkowski
“Well, I think the performances – this is a continuation of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, so I think the performances we saw in Boston and Berlin energizes our field. I think everyone’s in the mindset that they want to go fast. The weather looks accommodating so that’s part of the tradition here and I hope that takes hold and we see great racing on Sunday.”
Do you think we can see a World Record on Sunday?
“You know, that’s a great question. I know I’ve done my job and the team has done their job. I don’t know who’s going to win and we put a really balanced competition together and you hope that chemistry surfaces and you see some great racing. I’ve always said out of great competition comes great performances and that’s kind of the format we have stayed with over the years, and we are so fortunate that so many talented athletes have chosen to come here and compete and then also that their training has gone very well and, with a few exceptions, the majority of athletes who have trained for Chicago have made their way here . . .ask me about 9:30 on Sunday [on the World Record]”
“I just want to thank everyone for their support of this great event. It’s an amazing ecosystem, very complex. Mayor Lightfoot, the City of Chicago, the agencies that play a role in this, the corporate community.
Obviously, we had a wonderful announcement about our extension with Nike. Abbott, a Chicago company, their support of the series and here in Chicago we have the Abbott 5K tomorrow, which a lot of Chicagoans are going to be a part of this excitement. We are looking forward to a great day and thousands of people play a role in this. Our media
partners. Thank you – it’s a yearlong planning cycle and I want to thank everyone for their commitment and dedication. We are looking forward to a great tradition, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, continuing.”
Seifu Tura
“Because the marathon is such a difficult race, it’s really easier to make a move closer towards the end. Now that there are different athletes here, I’m still going to be waiting until later in the race, I believe. It could be different from last year and pretty much, I’ll be deciding as I go along.”
Ruth Chepngetich
Can you challenge the world record set in Chicago?
“Of course, I can – it is possible to challenge the world record because this course is faster. And also, the weather is good, and the people of Chicago are supportive, and they cheer you. You get motivated and you push. So, I can say, I can challenge it. It’s possible.”
Daniel Romanchuk
“We always go into a race with a plan. I’m expecting it to go out pretty fast. As I kind of mentioned, you never know what to expect during a race, and so I kind of have to decide as I go and maybe adapt a little bit. We’ll see on Sunday. I still have the course tour ahead of me right now.”
Tatyana McFadden
“I’m really happy to be back. It’s been a tough journey since April, but I’m really happy to be back healthy. I started my training hardcore in August and so, we’ll see. The competition for the women has definitely increased and it has gotten a lot faster. I’m looking forward to pushing with Susannah [Scaroni]. I’m sorry to hear that Manuela will be out this weekend and I wish her well. I am excited to see where I am going to place in Chicago and then get ready for New
York.”
Emily Sisson “My first marathon experience was really positive and I really enjoyed it. If you told me back then I’d go so long with completing a marathon, I’d be like, “What? What happens in the next three years?” After my first marathon in London I just really enjoyed it and felt drawn back to it.I want to see what I can do.”
Will you go for the American record?
“My main goal is to try to break 2:20. If I’m feeling good and the record is within striking distance, I’ll take a stab at it. I had a really good buildup. No setbacks. The weather this weekend looks great. I don’t know how many times I’ll have that, so I might as well take a big swing at it.”
“For me last year, I went with Ruth and then I ran the first half good. I had my pace, but I did not make.”
Are you going for that six-star medal – to complete all six AbbottWMM?
“I will try. If God wills it, and I’m healthy, I will try.”
“First of all, I’d like to say thank you very much for inviting me to this race. For Sunday, my goal is to try to win. That is what I am going for.” “It was raining this morning, but on Sunday, even if there’s rain there, with God’s help, I hope
to run well.”
Anybody who knows me knows I’m always innately motivated to go as fast as I can every race. That has not changed. What I will say is I now have an unshakable appreciation to be alive, which translates onto the road. I’m so thankful I get to be here and race and give my all. I think I have a different perspective and energy from that.
I will be trying my best, you have my word on that.
I think with a lot of a focus for this marathon for a long time, it’s just kind of if anything, all those races leading up to this were trying to build confidence and prepare for the distance. This is my first one so I haven’t ran before, so it kind of gets me more excited and ready to go out and see what I can do.
Love to break Leonard Korir’s American debut record. Love to get any faster if I could than that. You never know, if the weather’s good, maybe a little faster. We’ll see. I get really excited about it, but then I need to remember it’s my first marathon, so there’s a little bit of unknown with running this distance.
I know it’s a fast course. We are up to the task. My training was good and I’m ready for Sunday.
For me, I’m still running marathon and of course I’ll follow what my seniors are doing. If the conditions are like for Hamburg, then we shall move with them.
I expect I’ll run a great race. My preparation went well.
I feel pretty good. Grandma’s is a little different course than this and I had little assistance by the wind. That would’ve been an easy course record here. There are whispers of course record. There are a couple of really fast guys here. One of the guys you were talking to earlier was asking me what I thought about holding 18 miles an hour for the whole race, which would be a course record. I think it’s going to be fast.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes thousands of participants from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a world-class elite field, top regional and Masters runners, race veterans, debut marathoners and charity participants. The race’s iconic course takes participants through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and cultural tour of Chicago. The 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 9. In advance of the race, a three-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center Thursday, October 6 through Saturday, October 8.
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Alex Sawyer, Bank of America Chicago Marathon
alex.sawyer@cemevent.com
Diane Wagner, Bank of America
diane.wagner@bofa.com
