Bank of America Chicago Marathon – Sunday, October 13, 2013 – Race History 1977 – 1990 – Part I

In November 1976 at the Metropolitan YMCA on LaSalle St., five key founders of what would eventually become the Bank of America Chicago Marathon met to begin discussions and planning.

Those present included Wayne Goeldner, physical education director of the Hyde Park YMCA; Wendell “Wendy” Miller, a partner in a financial advising firm and founder of Midwest Masters Running Club; Bill Robinson, Executive Director of Friends of Parks; Sharon Mier, Director of Women’s Sports at the Loop Center YMCA; and Dr. Noel Nequin, Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at the Swedish Convenant Hospital. At this meeting, the group decided it was time for a marathon in Chicago.

Talks of a marathon continued, but little was actually done to stage the race. The turning point came in May 1977 when Nequin organized the first mega race in Chicago – the Ravenswood Bank Lakefront 10-Mile Run. The race was a great success, with over 1,000 runners participating, up from an expected 200-300. Michael Bilandic, Chicago’s new Mayor and an avid runner, was invited to the event. Not only did he show up to lend his support, but he and his wife, Heather, also handed out the awards to the winners. The Mayor’s strong support and overwhelming runner participation gave the marathon’s founders, who weren’t quite sure if a marathon could succeed in Chicago, the inspiration they needed to make the city’s first 26.2-mile road race a reality.

Suddenly 1977 was becoming a landmark year for running in Chicago. Several other shorter races were organized for the first time in addition to the Chicago Marathon, including the Chicago Distance Classic with almost 5,000 runners, an unheard number of participants at the time. But running fever did not stop with the new races. After seeing the success of the Lakefront 10, Mayor Bilandic decided to make Chicago “the running capital of the world.” To further show his support, Bilandic turned five miles of an old equestrian path along the lakefront into jogging paths, creating a scenic course for runners that today stretches 18 miles and is more popular than ever. Thus, with all of the new events and opportunities, Chicago’s running community was enjoying an explosion of excitement and participation.

By July 1977, Wendy Miller approached his friend and fellow Chicago businessman Lee Flaherty. Miller convinced Flaherty, a running enthusiast himself, to have his company, Flair Communications, be the official sponsor of the Chicago Marathon. Dr. Nequin and Flaherty then had a lunch meeting at the Drake Hotel with William Daley, son of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, about naming the event. Following the meeting, the Daley family gave its blessing to name the race the Mayor Daley Marathon.

Initially set-up with a $5 entry fee and an 8 a.m. start time, the race was scheduled for September 25, 1977, and specific jobs were distributed amongst the founders. Nequin was the medical director; Miller was the race director; Goeldner was in charge of registration; Mier was responsible for organizing 700 volunteers to marshal and officiate the race; and Robinson was treasurer. In addition, Erma Trantor, a friend of Mier’s, was hired to be the race coordinator; Ruth Ratny, a business friend of Flaherty’s, was to publicize the race.

The first ever Mayor Daley Marathon was soon to be a great success. Ads declared it the “people’s race anyone can come and enjoy,” and that was the approach organizers took. Then, on September 25, the hard work of many dedicated people who established the race as something for the entire city, paid off.

September 25, 1977: Dan Cloeter, 2:17:52; Dorothy Doolittle, 2:50:47
More than 4,200 runners turned out for the first Mayor Daley Marathon, making it the largest marathon in the world. Cloeter, from Indiana, and Doolittle, from Texas, battled the crowds to become Chicago’s first winners in a race that 2,128 actually finished. According to Cloeter, who had run in several other marathons, “I just wanted to win.” Doolittle’s victory not only was a personal best time, but also would be her last marathon.

Other competitors included Wesley Paul, an eight-year-old who finished in 3:15:20, setting a World Record in his age group. Jack Donahue was the final person across the Finish Line at 7:09:42. The only glitch of the race occurred when the ceremonial starter’s cannon misfired into the crowd, injuring two spectators. Ironically, the two burned were the wife and daughter of Wayne Goeldner, an original race founder. Despite the accident, the Marathon ran very smoothly and otherwise was an event for the whole city to enjoy.

September 24, 1978: Mark Stanforth, 2:19:20; Lynae Larson, 2:59:25
Organizing the second Chicago Marathon was not an easy task. Controversy surrounding the starting time and entry fee developed, leaving founders divided. On one side were those who wanted a $10 entry fee and a noon kick-off. The later start time would draw more spectators and publicity, while also allowing out-of-town participants more travel time. On the other side were those who felt $10 was too expensive and that a noon starting time could physically injure runners, especially the slower participants who would be running in the heat of the afternoon. They also felt that organizers were putting the interest of the media before that of the runners. While the $10 entry fee remained, a compromise of a 10:30 a.m. start time was finally reached. (In November 1977, Dr. Nequin, along with Trantor, Mier and other protesters, ended their involvement and formed the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) to manage races for runners’ protection.)

On the day of the race, thousands of participants wore black armbands in protest of the later start time. The Marathon quickly became a dual competition – the race against time and the battle against the heat. With lakefront temperatures reaching a high of 85 degrees, nearly 300 runners were treated for blisters or heat exhaustion, while 10 more were taken to local hospitals for heat problems and dehydration. But the warm temperatures couldn’t stop Arizona’s Stanforth or South Dakota’s Larson. Both conquered the heat to claim victory over the other 5,200 starters, 4,053 of whom actually finished the race. Despite temperature problems, the Marathon ran smoothly. For the first time in U.S. history a dual start was used, the two points a block apart, which helped spread the runners out. Plenty of water was available to help quench thirst, and most agreed that the second Chicago Marathon was a success.

October 21, 1979: Dan Cloeter, 2:23:20; Laura Michalek, 3:15:45
After miserable running weather the previous year, race organizers attempted to avoid similar conditions by pushing the Marathon back to October. Despite these efforts, temperatures were once again against runners’ favor as 3,700 race starters battled the 77-degree heat, 81 percent humidity and 20 mph wind gusts along the lakefront. Due to the challenging conditions, only 2,869 runners actually finished the race. Cloeter, the 1977 winner, returned to Chicago to claim the men’s victory. Shortly after winning, he collapsed with severe dehydration. Nancy Reid and Donna Simmons illegally “dropped in” to place first and second for the women, but were disqualified when it was proven that they did not run the entire race. This gave the victory to 15-year-old Laura Michalek of Berwyn, IL, the youngest winner in Chicago Marathon history. Also for the record book, both the men’s and women’s times are still Chicago’s slowest winning times. Beatrice Foods sponsored the race for the first time, providing their Tropicana orange juice and Dannon yogurt to exhausted runners at the finish line.

September 28, 1980: Frank Richardson, 2:14:04; Sue Peterson, 2:45:03
With temperatures in the low 60s, more than 4,600 runners turned out for a race in ideal conditions. Richardson, a newlywed of just 49 days from Iowa, and Peterson, a Californian who crossed the finish line alongside her husband Pete, claimed victories with the fastest winning times Chicago had seen to date. Ida Mintz, 74, finished the race with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson in 4:45, claiming the title of the world’s oldest female marathoner. Jane Schiff was the Chicago Marathon’s first unofficial wheelchair winner in Chicago’s history with a time of 3:02:38. Proceeds of the 1980 race went to the Chicago Boys Club.

September 27, 1981: Phil Coppess, 2:16:13; Tina Gandy, 2:49:39
While most runners were sleeping, two participants began the Marathon at 2 a.m. on Sunday in order to finish the entire 26.2-mile course by the 3:30 p.m. deadline…walking. At the regular starting time, another 5,400 joined them, ages 7 to 78 years old, including 12 corporate teams, two wheelchair entrants and one blind runner. With 1,800 volunteers helping out along the way and 25,000 spectators, Iowa’s Coppess, running his third marathon, and Gandy, a Minnesotan, raced against 25 mph winds to win. Other victories included 57-year-old Helen Dick, who set an age group record with her time of 3:12.

September 26, 1982: Greg Meyer, 2:10:59; Nancy Conz, 2:33:23
Over 30 world-class runners from eight different nations were among the 6,014 racers, 4,642 of whom finished, in the sixth annual Chicago Marathon. But it was Americans Meyer and Conz, both from Massachusetts, who won, beating the 1980 course records by 3 and 12 minutes, respectively. Not only did they take home the thrill of victory, but also the Marathon’s first prize money checks ($12,000 for each out of a $77,000 purse).

October 16, 1983: Joseph Nzau, 2:09:44; Rosa Mota, 2:31:12
Almost 7,000 runners came out for what would be the most competitive race Chicago had ever seen. With only a few yards left in the 26-mile, 385-yard course, Nzau of Kenya surged ahead and out-leaned Hugh Jones of Great Britain to win the race by half a second. Nzau crossed the line in 2:09:44.3 and Jones in 2:09:44.8. In the women’s competition, Mota of Portugal took over the lead with one mile left, beating Anne Audain of New Zealand, and setting a new course record. Although the race was called “America’s Marathon,” $113,000 out of the $135,000 prize purse went to 15 men and women from 11 foreign countries. A record 250,000 Chicagoans cheered participants on, helping 5,237 mostly local runners make it to the finish.

October 21, 1984: Steve Jones, 2:08:05; Rosa Mota, 2:26:01
Despite cold temperatures and a steady downpour of rain, nearly 8,000 runners started the race, including 70 world-class runners; both totals were records. Great Britain’s Jones not only claimed victory, but also set a World Record time in the men’s race. According to Jones, “I had no idea what kind of pace I was running and no idea how fast they were running. I got to 24 and a half and 25 and the press truck left to go to the finish line. A writer from London shouted that if I kept it under five-minute pace, I had a chance for the record. I was confused and thought he meant a course record!” While defending her title, Mota also broke the women’s course record she set the previous year. For their wins, Jones and Mota took home $35,000 each out of the $250,000 purse. This year’s race also marked the first official Wheelchair competition, with five men and one woman competing. Robert Fitch from East Lansing, MI took the men’s title in 2:35:06 while Jonnie Baylark from Bellwood, IL claimed the women’s in 3:29:10.

Among lesser-known victories, however, was the finish of Ken Campbell. On March 22, 1983, Campbell was in a car collision with a gasoline tanker, leaving burns on over 70 percent of his body. While on what was supposed to be his deathbed, Campbell was told that he would never walk again. Miraculously, Campbell slowly regained his strength, his ability to walk, and eventually was able to run. Days before the Marathon, the race’s medical director wrote a letter to Ken discouraging him from competing because of possible harm to his skin grafts and scar tissues. Against all odds, Campbell finished the Marathon in 3:37.

October 20, 1985: Steve Jones, 2:07:13; Joan Benoit Samuelson, 2:21:21
This year’s race turned out the largest number of runners Chicago had seen to date, and the fastest. Nearly 10,000 competed as Jones and Benoit Samuelson claimed victory. Jones’ goal was to set another World Record, but he missed Carlos Lopes’ World Record by just one second. His victory earned him $35,000 for winning, $10,000 for setting the new course record and $13,000 in time bonuses for running under 2:08. The women’s competition featured one of the top fields ever assembled, with the then second, fourth and fifth fastest times in the world being set. Ingrid Kristiansen, the World Record holder; Joan Benoit Samuelson, the Olympic champion; and Rosa Mota, the Olympic bronze medalist and Chicago’s defending champion, battled for victory. Not only did Benoit Samuelson win (missing Kristiansen’s World Record by just 15 seconds), but she also set the American and course records.

October 26, 1986: Toshihiko Seko, 2:08:27; Ingrid Kristiansen, 2:27:08
The 10th Chicago Marathon brought great racing weather. Despite the 90 percent humidity, temperatures remained in the upper 50s, providing excellent conditions for the 12,000 runners who started the race. Japan’s Seko took the lead after 22 miles and went on to win the race. The Norwegian, Ingrid Kristiansen, dominated the women’s competition by more than two minutes. Both winners received $40,000 for their victories. However, the rest of the 8,173 runners who finished did not go home empty-handed. Due to high popularity the previous year, race officials doubled the number of massage tables and therapists, giving more than 500 racers “special treatment” for their tired muscles.

1987: Due to a loss in sponsorship, there was no Marathon this year. However, a half-marathon was organized to provide Chicago’s runners with a low-budget alternative. Taster’s Choice was the sponsor of the event called the Columbian Select Half-Marathon. Steve Jones, by now a hero in Chicago, returned to claim victory on October 25 in 1:04:20. Kim Ballentine of Brentwood, MO, won the women’s division in 1:18:20.

October 30, 1988: Alejandro Cruz, 2:08:57; Lisa Weidenbach, 2:29:17
This year marked the return of the Marathon to Chicago, which witnessed unseasonably cold weather. As temperatures remained in the 30s, runners faced problems with circulation, metabolism, hypothermia and muscle tightness. With 8,700 runners registered for the Marathon, now sponsored by Old Style, the chilly conditions could not stop Cruz and Weidenbach from claiming victory over the 5,795 finishers. Cruz, a native of Mexico, broke his country’s record with his personal best of 2:08:57. Weidenbach, of Seattle, WA, became just the fifth American woman to run a marathon in less than 2:30 with her personal best time of 2:29:17. Cruz and Weidenbach took home a then record $50,000 each out of the $350,000 total purse for their victories.

October 29, 1989: Paul Davis-Hale, 2:11:25; Lisa Weidenbach, 2:28:15
Along with the other 8,529 runners who started the race, and in stark contrast to the previous year, Davis-Hale and Weidenbach battled unseasonably warm temperatures, 64 percent humidity and windy conditions that accompanied the 12th Chicago Marathon. Great Britain’s Davis-Hale won the race in 2:11:25, the slowest winning men’s time since 1981. Weidenbach, while breaking her personal best time, became Chicago’s second repeat women’s champion. Both champions walked away with $50,000 for winning the race. The oldest competitor in the race was 84-year-old Ida Mintz, who finished in 6:07. In the wheelchair competition, America’s Scot Hollonbeck won for the men in 1:45:30, and Ann Cody Morris won for the women in 1:58:51.

October 28, 1990: Martin Pitayo, 2:09:41; Aurora Cunha, 2:30:11
As a result of the hard work of new Race Director Carey Pinkowski, this race was a big success. Pinkowski was the youngest director of any U.S. marathon. More important than his effective management, however, was that Pinkowski brought the Marathon together with the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA). As a result, he was able to get local runners and running clubs more involved than ever in the race, especially as volunteers. On race day, the finish could not have been more exciting. The men’s leaders, Mexico’s Martin Pitayo and Poland’s Antoni Niemczak ran the final 10 miles of the race together. At the last possible moment, Pitayo surged ahead to beat Niemczak by one step, making his 0.3 second victory the closest ever in American marathon history.

Meanwhile, in her first U.S. marathon appearance, Portugal’s Aurora Cunha took the women’s victory with her personal best time of 2:30:11. Pitayo and Cunha claimed $30,000 each out of the $250,000 total purse for their victories. The winners were not the only stars of the day. Local resident Ann Clark enjoyed celebrity status as spectators applauded her finish and asked her to pose with them in pictures. The 81-year-old from Carol Stream, IL, who didn’t take up running until age 64, finished in 5:46.

 

Source:  Bank of America Chicago Marathon