Chicago Marathon.....

[Windy City Irish]

well, as some of you know my dad who is 60 years old ran his 4th marathon today here in Chicago.

let me be one of the many who sends out their RIP, thoughts and best wishes to the man from Michigan that died today and the 325 other runners who were rushed to Chicago hospitals due to the extreme heat and POOR aide station support that runners received today.

if you check out chicago tribune, or the chicago marathon website you will see what I am talking about, but the short story is....

race was called for anyone that was not at the midway point by 11:30AM and for everyone at around 12-12:30pm or so. My dad was at the 22.5 mile marker when chicago police, fire dept and race officials went over loud speakers and told all runners to stop running for their own safety and that no times were going to be recorded. Well, my dad never walks while running but did so due to warnings and had to walk the last 4 miles of the race!!! All you could hear throughout downtown was ambulance sirens ringing through downtown. They had to bring in every ambulance unit from surrounding towns to help out with all the people injured.

Most runners that were plus 10 minute miles didnt have any gatorade, fruit, energizer packs that the faster runners used up and the aide stations didnt have adequate supplies of and were closing up while thousands of runners were still on the course.

anyway....congrats to my dad for atleast finishing the marathon and to the other 10's of thousands of others that braved the heat, tough conditions, and poor coordinating of this race to accomplish something that 95% of people in the world can't and will not do.

W C I

ps....class actions lawsuits will be popping up all over chicago in the next week over this as thousands have flooded message boards about it and wanting to recoup their $110 entry fee which Lasalle Bank pocketed $4.5 MILL and all the sponsorship money they got as well..........

[guzzi]

no disrepect but...mother nature rulez...

this race should have been called off...

weather situation not right for midwest...

[revnecro1273]

man that is some sad news...hope your pops is okay not didnt suffer any type of illness afterward

and is it really that hot there this time of year? i would never have guessed it could get that hot there in october

[Windy City Irish]

turns out the guy that died had a falty heart valve and the heat didnt kill him...still, not the way you want to go!