Second Chances in the Second City

Photo by Rabbitwolf Creative

Second Chances in the Second City

Words Jeff Merrill

The Second City sits like a mirage across the great lake, with the waves lapping at the concrete bulwark of a path on the shore.

It boasts it has the fastest marathon in the world- flat with long, straight stretches, tempting the world’s top marathoners to come with their stockpiles of fitness and cash them down LaSalle as Ceres, goddess of grain looks down from her perch atop the Chicago Board of Trade.

‘They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys.’

Folks call it windy, but why shouldn’t it boast? 6 world records have been set in the city. The current men’s record of 2:00:35 held by the great Kelvin Kiptum was set there last year months before his untimely death.

Before Tigist Assefa ripped 2:11 in Berlin, the top mark was Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14:04, set in Chicago in 2019.

Emily Sisson clocked the American record of 2:18:29 in 2022, and last year, Conner Mantz rolled 2:07.47, the fastest time by an American since Galen Rupp’s 2:06:35, placing 2nd in 2021. Other than Rupp, you’d have to go back to Dathan Ritzenhein’s run of 2:07:47 in Chicago to find another American who has run as fast.

The upper echelon of American marathoners will take to the streets below the famed skyline for a second chance in the Second City.

Following Orlando, this was the race that many of them circled for a chance to retake the headlines, training through the summer months and the Paris games and waiting until the ivy at Wrigley Field turned red. Their day has finally come.

The field includes Zach Panning, who led in Orlando from mile 8 to 23 and ultimately came 6th, the barnstorming CJ Albertson, who came 5th, 10 seconds off of 3rd place. Betsy Saina, who while running with the lead pack, stepped off in Orlando at mile 22 to come storming back later in the spring in Tokyo with a 2:19:17. Former American record holder, Keria D’Amato, and World’s 7th placer, Emma Bates makes her return to the distance after missing out on the Trials. Don’t forget about Sara Hall, 5th at the World Champs in 2022 with a 2:20 best to her name.

The women’s race boasts 12 Americans who have run under 2:30. 12 of the 20 top American times ever run have come in the last 4 years, with 5 of them being run in Chicago. Sara Vaughn (2:23:24) and Gabi Rooker (2:24:35) are 2 that are returning to the scene on Sunday.

Can anyone challenge at the front?

Ruth Chepngetich returns to the site of her 2:14:18, run in 2022.

Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich enters with a 2:03.13 best, set in Berlin in 2023.

The United States has chipped away at the gap between us and the world’s best in the distance events on the track. Through the 90’s and early 00’s it seemed almost insurmountable, much like the 7+ minutes currently separating Conner Mantz and Emily Sisson from the marathon world records do now. Sports have a funny way of lulling us into an acceptance of the status quo only to shake us out of it when our expectations are suddenly shattered. It takes strong-willed individuals to defy the expectations of the overwhelming majority, of which some bitterly defend their stance claiming that the improbable is impossible.

There’s got to be some psychological explanation for why people lash out at the suggestion that for example, Gabi Rooker could break the world record. We are inspired by the notion that a child could grow up to one day win a world major, but tend to see the pros as fully baked versions of themselves once they reach an elite level. It must have to do with a preservation of reality because a departure from it would shake our little worlds to the core and cause us to question whether there are gila monsters living in the floor vents of our houses. It is not impossible, and it is more probable than not that we will have our realities shaken by sporting events and individuals doing extraordinary things, as oxymoronic as that sentence sounds. It is why we love sports, and look up to the defiant souls who dare walk their own path and silence the doubters through mighty acts. Maybe we want to be wrong.

There are 4 years between now and the Olympics on our home soil. I would bet against long odds that the gap will shrink considerably in that time.

The waves keep lapping at the bulwark and that path will crumble into the lake one day.

The 2024 Chicago Marathon begins at 7:30am CST on Sunday, October 13th