FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Six-time World Champion Mo Farah
Joins Galen Rupp in the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Men's Elite Field
Event Will Bring Back Pacers ("Rabbits") For The Professional Competitors
CHICAGO - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that
four-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time world champion and five-time
European champion Mo Farah will join the 2018 Chicago Marathon elite
competition. In 2012, Farah became the first British athlete in history to
win an Olympic gold at the 10,000m, and he is just the second athlete in
history to pull off back-to-back gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m
at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
The Chicago Marathon marks Farah's third go at the distance and his first
42K on U.S. soil. He joins defending champion and former training partner,
Galen Rupp, at the front of this year's elite pack. Farah and Rupp made
history together at the 2012 London Olympics, finishing with the gold and
silver in the 10,000m.
"Mo and Galen are two of the greatest distance runners of all time," said
Executive Race Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Carey
Pinkowski. "They come to Chicago following in the footsteps of incredible
runners like Khalid Khannouchi, Sammy Wanjiru, Moses Tanui, Paul Tergat,
Steve Jones and more. These two runners have competed at the highest level
of competition and I'm confident they will come prepared for what's shaping
up to be an epic showdown."
Farah made his marathon debut in 2014 in London, clocking 2:08: 21 to
finish eighth. He refocused his energy on the track and the 2016 Rio
Olympics before tackling the distance again this spring. He finished third
in London with a new personal best and a national record, 2:06:21. Farah
dazzled fans at the 2016 Rio Olympics when he experienced a dramatic fall,
tumbling hard to the track, in the 10,000m. Instead of panicking, he found
his feet, rejoined the pack and ran away from the rest of the field to win
gold. In addition to his Olympic and world titles, he has landed on the top
of the podium 20 times in the Diamond League track competitions.
Farah holds national track records in the 1500m, 3000m, two-mile, 5000m and
10,000m, and British road records in the 5K, 10K, 20K, half marathon and
marathon. In 2017, Farah was named BBC's Sports Personality of the Year.
Setting ideal conditions for fast times
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2018 will re-introduce pacers -
"rabbits" - into the elite competition after breaking from the tradition
for the past few years.
"The championship style of racing that spectators enjoy will continue as
the race enters its final miles," Pinkowski said. "The epic 2010 duel
between the late Wanjiru and Tsegaye Kebede - arguably one of the greatest
finishes in marathon history -underscores the importance of the tactics
that still exist and flourish in paced races."
Pinkowski and event organizers decided to transition back to pacers to
leverage the speed of the course, to work towards setting up ideal
conditions for the top tier elite athletes confirmed so far, and to respond
to feedback received from runners.
"We listened to the athletes and they want to come to Chicago because of
our tradition of fast times and our legacy as a world record course,"
continued Pinkowski. "If athletes want to run in races without pacers,
there are several opportunities for them to do so."
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 41st year on Sunday, October 7, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
welcomes thousands of runners 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 runners. The race's
iconic course takes runners through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an
architectural and cultural tour of Chicago. Annually, an estimated 1.7
million spectators line the streets cheering on more than 40,000 runners
from the start line to the final stretch down Columbus Drive. As a result
of the race's national and international draw, the Chicago Marathon assists
in raising millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes while
generating $282 million in annual economic impact to its host city. The
2018 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 7. In advance of the race, a two-day Abbott Health &
Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday,
October 5, and Saturday, October 6. For more information about the event
and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other
important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom. Click here to
register for news email alerts.
chicagomarathon.com
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