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Wesley Korir Headlines Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2012
CHICAGO – (May 2, 2012) – The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has announced that Wesley Korir,
the newly crowned Boston Marathon champion, will return to run
Chicago’s fall classic for the fifth consecutive year. Korir,
29, is the first professional athlete announced for the 35th
running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday,
October 7.
Korir, a native of Kenya
who attended the University of Louisville in Kentucky and still
lives and trains there, was runner-up at the 2011 Bank of
America Chicago Marathon in a personal record 2 hours, 6
minutes, 15 seconds. Even with his world class performance in Chicago,
Korir was a relative underdog this spring when he executed a
perfect race plan in challenging conditions at the Boston
Marathon, rallying from nearly a minute behind the race leader
with five miles to go to win his first Major marathon in
stunning fashion.
With two Honda LA Marathon
victories to his credit, Korir has a storied history at the
Bank of America Chicago Marathon. After paying his own way into
the open field at the 2008 event, he started the race five
minutes behind the elite athletes, yet still managed to record the
fourth-fastest time of the day, catching and passing all but a few
members of the international field before posting a finish time
of 2:13:53. The following year, Korir was invited back to
Chicago as an official member of the professional field and
placed sixth overall in 2:10:38. In 2010, he improved once
again to fourth place overall in 2:08:44 before his break-through
performance in 2011 that served as the springboard to his defining
win in Boston. After the biggest victory of his career, Korir
enters the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon with his eye
on the top level of the podium.
“We’re thrilled to welcome
Wesley back to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for the
fifth year in a row, no doubt with a little more fanfare this
year after his well-earned victory at the Boston Marathon,”
said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski.
“Wesley has proven
that he’s one of the best marathon runners in the world, but I
am far more impressed by his humble nature and perseverance. He
literally started his marathon career with the masses and now
he’s at the pinnacle of the sport. He’s a true success story.”
“The Bank of America
Chicago Marathon is where I started my professional career and I
am honored to return to this year’s race, especially after
winning the Boston Marathon,” said Korir. “I love the city of
Chicago. It’s close to Louisville and I always have a large
group of friends who drive up to cheer for me, which makes me feel
at home along with the support from the local fans and volunteers. I
come to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this year full of
confidence that no matter who is in the field, they will have
to beat me to win it.”
About the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Celebrating its 35th year and a member of the World Marathon Majors,
the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000
participants, including a world class runner and wheelchair
field, and an estimated 1.7 million spectators. As a result of
its national and international draw, each year, the iconic race
assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of
charitable causes while generating $170 million in economic
impact to its host city according to a report by the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Regional Economics Applications
Laboratory (R.E.A.L.). The 2012 Bank of America Chicago
Marathon will start and finish in Chicago’s Grant Park
beginning at 7:30am on Sunday, October 7. In advance of the
race, a two-day Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick
Place Convention Center on Friday, October 5 and Saturday,
October 6.
Visit www.chicagomarathon.com for more information.
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