Runners from 49 states and 35 countries filled the streets of Chicago’s West Side on Sunday for the Bank of America Chicago 13.1 half marathon.
Participants had a total of three hours and 15 minutes to complete the 13.1-mile course, requiring them to maintain a pace of at least 15 minutes per mile to finish within the time limit.
This year, Zouhair Talbi claimed victory in both the men’s division and the overall race with a time of 1:01:08, while Meseret Belete Tola won the women’s division, finishing in 1:09:36. Both runners surpassed last year’s winning times—Peter Njeru’s 1:01:46 and Joyline Chemutai’s 1:11:45.
Austin resident Kyra Marcano, executive director of Chicago Run participated in this year’s half-marathon.
Chicago Run provides inclusive, trauma-informed running and physical activity programs for youth across Chicago, supporting their physical, mental and social-emotional development.
Marcano participated in Team Chicago Run’s charity program for five Chicago marathons and multiple half marathons and the Chicago 13.1 marked her second time running the race after a two-year break.
Additionally, Marcano and her team volunteered on Saturday at Bank of America Chicago’s 13.1 as they hosted a variety of West Side wellness events, including a family-friendly 1.31-mile walk, youth running races, and a community vendor village showcasing local businesses and organizations.
“Growing up in Humboldt Park and being able to run past my childhood home, to be in community, and to see beautiful parts of the city — like the boulevards that typically don’t get showcased in events like these, I was just really grateful to be on the course today,” Marcano said.
When crossing the finish line, Marcano felt a deep sense of gratitude. Having completed 19 half marathons, including races in other cities and many different events throughout Chicago.
Grateful to be part of the organizing, Marcano noted a clear difference between the first race and this year’s event. She appreciated the intentional planning, especially the emphasis on community input and representation throughout.
“The festival was engaging. There were local businesses highlighted alongside event sponsors like Nike, and I think it’s just a really great opportunity. I hope it continues to maintain this local-but-global feel, and that the community continues to have more access and involvement,” Marcano said.
Marcano emphasized Chicago Run’s focus on building strong partnerships with schools and community organizations, particularly in the Austin community, Garfield Park, and Lawndale.
“If there are any school-based personnel or community-based organizations interested in engaging young people, they should definitely reach out to our team,” Marcano said.
Besides participating in the race itself, many community members were also out along the route, cheering on runners and creating a lively, supportive atmosphere.
Gela Soona and Erza Carranza and their dog Bongo the Third were both cheering on their friend Victor who was running.
Soona mentions that this half-marathon feels bittersweet, as events like this in predominantly BIPOC communities often leave the responsibility of cleanup to the community members themselves, since the city typically doesn’t do a good job maintaining the area afterward.
“So, like, we have to be stewards of our own spaces, but it’s also really nice to see a lot of representation — a lot of BIPOC folks out here, participating in spaces that are predominantly white,” Soona said.
Carranza is also running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October. Although they do not belong to a running club, Carranza is participating in this race through fundraising for the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
“It’s very inspirational to see so many runners out here — lots of movement and different aspects, not just necessarily focused on my own performance. It’s really nice and motivating to witness that. Running definitely isn’t easy; it’s one of those sports that people often use as punishment in other sports,” Carranza said.
This race even drew runners who no longer live in Chicago, like Charles Robinson who currently resides in Houston—one of the original Peace Runners 773 highlighting just how deep the group’s roots and impact truly run.
Peace Runners 773 is a community-based running group founded in June 2020 to create a safe, inclusive space for fitness in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood. It was founded by Jackie Hoffman.
“I was one of the original Peace Runners. There were probably about three to five of us back then. To see where we began and where Jackie, his mom and the team have taken it now is incredible,” Robinson said.
Near the finish line, Robinson paused to cheer on his teammate Siok, who was approaching the finish line. Robinson calls Siok ‘the funniest man in Chicago.’
“It felt good to cheer him on because I’ve seen where a lot of the Peace Runners started and how far they’ve come. Many of them began by just walking or running a few days a week, and now they’re completing half marathons, full marathons—even major marathons,” Robinson said.