I the race then and.now1. The Marathon from Myth to Actuality; 2. A Brief History of the Chicago Marathon I I staging the event3. The Race Director; 4. Grassroots Support I I I sponsorship and general assistance5. Corporate and Small Business Sponsorship; 6. Government and Sister Agency Support I V marathon alliances7. Charities; 8. The Media V the runners9. Professionals and Exceptional Amateurs; 10. Older Runners; 11. Middle-Aged and Younger Runners; 12. Charity Runners Conclusion
The first book-length study of the city's great annual contest
In The Chicago Marathon, Andrew Suozzo reveals this citywide ritual as far more than a simple race. Providing a full-spectrum look at the event's production and participants, Suozzo shows how the elements that comprise the marathon also reflect modern Chicago's politics, its people, and the ways the city engages with the wider world.
The book encompasses all of the forces that come together to make the race the spectacle it has become today. Beginning with a brisk history of the marathon, Suozzo leads readers from its origins in Greek mythology to its modern reality, and also along its rocky road to international prominence. He investigates the roles of sponsorship, small-business support, and the city's intervention on behalf of the marathon, as well as the alliances the event has forged with the media and charity fundraisers. He also discusses race management and the grassroots support that ultimately make it possible, with a special perspective on the aid station directors and volunteers. Finally, The Chicago Marathon features numerous interviews with the runners themselves, ranging from world-renowned professional athletes to amateurs with diverse backgrounds and abilities.
Received the Hal Higdon Journalism Award, recognizing serious
journalism about running from the Chicago Area Runners Association
(CARA, 2007).
"The urban marathon has been called ‘'a moving spectacle'’ and
Andrew Suozzo has captured more of the moving parts than any other
writer. Most marathon books dig no deeper than the winners and
their great performances. The Chicago Marathon uncovers how the
organizers, sponsors, runners, and neighborhoods mesh together to
create a magnificent event."
-- Amby Burfoot, executive editor, Runner's World magazine and
winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon
"Suozzo goes far beyond the history of a specific race, examining
the marathon both as a societal movement and a personal quest for
our age. All aspects of the race--from initial planning to the
runners themselves--are presented with the thorough-ness of an
academic and the understanding of a participant. The Chicago
Marathon will appeal to all who are interested in marathoners and
the role of marathons in the modern world."
-- Jonathan Beverly, editor in chief, Running Times
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