Twenty miles in, Federico Chalela was convinced that Sunday’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon, his first, would also be his last.
But 6.2 miles later, Chalela reunited with his girlfriend on the Grant Park lawn, put a bag of ice on his left knee and reconsidered.
“Now that I made it,” he said, “I think I’m going to do another one.”
Chalela, of Bogota, Colombia, was one of about 45,000 competitors — including Olympians, wounded soldiers and senior citizens crossing an item off the bucket list — who ran through Chicago’s streets on a chilly Sunday.
Some of the world’s fastest men and women were on hand wearing national team uniforms, but the vast majority of runners were racing only for themselves.
Most made it through the race just fine. But at least 10 were taken to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center, including a 47-year-old man who had a heart problem near mile 21, race officials said. As of Sunday evening, the man was in stable condition, officials said. Nine others were transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
Chalela said he took up the sport because he was overweight. He had hoped to finish in four hours but crossed the line in about 31/2. The pain he felt at mile 20 ended up being worth it.
“It’s something you’ve got to do in life, man,” Chalela said. “At least once.”
Sealed with a kiss
Calvin Aschliman’s introduction to the world of running came while fixing a copier about 10 years ago at the Chicago Area Runners Association, where he learned about the group’s running programs.
He decided to join a program for beginners, near his home in Hyde Park.
“They said by the end of this program, you will be able to run 20 minutes nonstop — and I didn’t believe them,” said Aschliman, 57.
About two years later, he ran his first Chicago Marathon. He has run three more since, including Sunday’s, and five others elsewhere.
“If he didn’t have a marathon to train for, he would never run,” said his wife, Annie Stewart, 54.
The couple drove from their home in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Though Aschliman said he achieved his goal of clocking a time under 3:50 (he finished in 3:48), the marathon wasn’t always smooth sailing.
“When I saw her at mile 22, I sort of had my doubts, because my calf started to tighten,” he said. “So I stretched and kissed her.”
“And one of those helped,” Stewart said.
After the race, Stewart planned to give her husband a well-deserved break.
“I think I’ll drive,” Stewart said.
A Marine’s next battle
John Hayes,
a 31-year-old father, lost his legs while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan in 2010 when an improvised explosive device went off.
Hayes rehabbed at a military hospital and started working with the nonprofit Achilles Freedom Team, which helps wounded vets train for marathons and prepare for their lives after the military.
On Sunday, Hayes used his arms to propel a handcycle. He finished third in his division, an Achilles spokeswoman said.
The Florida native and several other Achilles vets are on a tour of marathons. Hayes has raced in the Boston and Marine Corps marathons, and he plans to compete in Detroit and New York City this year.
When Hayes raced in his first marathon, it took him about four hours to finish. Since then, training has helped him cut his time in half. The sport has also provided a confidence boost for Hayes, who said he was frail and feeling sorry for himself before he started competing.
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Hayes is looking forward to returning home to his three young daughters with a medal.
“They’re going to be so excited when they hear Dad got third place,” he said.
Running together
For Abbey Breshears and Lisa Sudmeier, both 26, the Chicago Marathon was not only a chance to challenge themselves athletically but also to reconnect with each other.
They were both on the track team at Washington University in St. Louis, where they often trained together. But four years after graduating, Breshears lives in San Francisco, while Sudmeier lives in Madison, Wis.
“We don’t get to see each other enough,” Sudmeier said.
So they signed up for Chicago’s marathon. While training, they called one another and updated each other on their progress. They even settled on the same running goal: finishing the race in under three hours.
Both were disappointed Sunday that they didn’t beat that time. Breshears finished in about 3 hours, 9 minutes, while Sudmeier finished in about 3 hours, 2 minutes.
“If it’s not where you want to be, it’s sad,” Breshears said. “It’s all relative.”
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Though they didn’t achieve their goal, both women pledged to keep running.
“I can’t not run,” Breshears said. “It’s just been part of our identity.”
A late night
Nick Bias, 28, knows he should have gone to bed earlier.
But the physical education teacher from West Virginia couldn’t stop watching his home-state football team. Bias finally got to bed around 10 p.m. as the West Virginia Mountaineers eked out a win against Texas.
Hours later, he ate a blueberry bagel, downed a Gatorade and made his way through the morning chill to the marathon’s starting line.
The late bedtime didn’t affect his performance. Bias, running his eighth marathon, finished with a personal best of 2 hours, 57 minutes.
It was his fourth race in Chicago, and as in the past his favorite part was running through the enthusiastic crowds in Chinatown. Bias said he pushed harder during the second half of the run and felt that extra effort after finishing.
“I’m a little gutted,” he said. “That’s how you should feel.”
Running for a cause
EJ Scott wore a blindfold as he ran.
Scott, who has choroideremia , a rare retinal degenerative disease that leads to total blindness, was guided along the course by two people.
Though he has been running regularly for the past few years, he hopes to run 12 marathons in 12 cities in one year while raising more than $100,000 for research for choroideremia.
So far he has raised about $75,000 and run 10 marathons, Scott said.
Choroideremia is a genetic disease passed on to males in the family. Scott, 36, his 26-year-old brother and 7-year old nephew have been diagnosed with the disease.
“It means I will definitely go blind unless something is done about it. It means my brother will definitely go blind unless something is done about it,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of time. People are losing their sight.”
Scott was diagnosed in 2003 after his brother went in for a checkup. Now he says he has about 10 percent of his sight, which he describes as “tunnel vision,” which prevents him from driving or walking much without a cane.
On Sunday, he wore a blindfold to protect his eyes from the sunlight.
He said the race was one of his most difficult.
“It took forever,” he said. But “it will all be worth it in the end.”
Carbo loading
There was an official beverage station just south of the apartments that Ken Regan owns.
But when racers passed Regan’s building on LaSalle Street, they were offered something other than water or Gatorade.
Regan bought six cases of beer in small cans, which he and his friends poured into cups and offered to racers as they passed.
“Free beer for runners,” they shouted from behind a card table filled with drinks.
As athletes ran through the Near North Side Sunday morning, more than a few stopped for Budweiser and Bud Light.
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Regan, who bought the building in 2004, said the previous owner also offered alcoholic encouragement to the runners. He was happy to continue the tradition.
Those who missed Regan’s beer had a second opportunity. When runners crossed the finish line, they were greeted with a free Goose Island brew.