Posted: September 14, 2007

Athletics: Counting Down To The 30th Anniversary Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days The 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon champion will make his return to the Windy City after missing the 2006 race with a back injury. One of the greatest athletes currently competing in the sport, Felix is a favorite in the race, with a 2:06:14 personal record. According to Felix, “The marathon is my sport. The longer I run, the stronger I feel.” WHO: Felix Limo AGE: 27 OCCUPATION: Marathon athlete COUNTRY: Kenya MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 (2004 Rotterdam, 2004 real,- Berlin, The 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago, 2006 Flora London) RUNNER STORY: Felix Limo is well-known in the running world for his early start to success and his countless victories. Felix’s running career debuted in 2000, just three days after his 20th birthday, at the Van Damme 10,000m. He finished second, stunning the world with a time less than one second behind his fellow countryman and current marathon world record holder, Paul Tergat. In 2001, he slipped past Haile Gebrselassie to take first place and set a new world record for the 15K (41:29). Felix was quickly racking up a list of world records and filling shelves with first-place trophies in 10K and 15K races around the world. He had become the runner to beat and was in need of a bigger challenge. He appeared in his first full marathon at Amsterdam in 2003. Even with so much success behind him, spectators were thrilled and impressed to watch Felix turn in a time of 2:06:42; marking the second best time for a debut marathoner. For Felix, second best wasn’t good enough. He needed to be number one and wouldn’t rest until he could claim a first-place title in a major marathon. In 2004 at the real,– Berlin Marathon, Felix fought his way through poor weather to earn his rightful place in the winner’s circle. Determined to make his mark in marathon running, he further established himself by dipping below 2:07 to set a personal record (2:06:14) and take first place in Rotterdam in 2004. He then set his sights on The 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. With a wealth of drive and talent, he tore down the city streets and took first place in 2:07:02. The following spring, he took on the Flora London Marathon to establish back-to-back championships and a share in the lead for the inaugural World Marathon Majors series. Felix was competing and winning marathons around the world. He was deeply disappointed when a lower back injury forced him to withdraw from The 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and miss out on the chance to defend his 2005 title. After dominating long distance races for nearly seven years, Felix is returning to Chicago with one goal - to regain the title of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon champion. RACE INFORMATION: The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday, October 7, 2007 as 45,000 participants advance to the start line, embarking on the culmination of 45,000 personal journeys. Along with the massive field of recreational runners, the 26.2-mile course will welcome a full field of world renowned professional athletes drawn to the flat, fast, urban setting and the potential to break world and national records. The professionals will compete for prize money and points in the World Marathon Majors series which will crown its first male and female champions with $500,000 each at the close of 2007. Since the inception of its charity program in 2002, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has generated more than $27.5 million for a variety of charitable causes including $9.5 million in the 2006 event alone. Registration for the race opened on January 1, 2007 and closed when it reached capacity on April 18. Felix’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest