Posted: September 16, 2007

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

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Tim Radcliff encouraged both his brother and sister to take on The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon to experience the personal gratification, accomplishment and healing that it generates. After accompanying them during training, following them along the course and videotaping their achievements, Tim has decided to overcome his obstacles and take on the 26.2-mile course himself. WHO: Tim Radcliff AGE: 41 OCCUPATION: Institutional Investment Sales HOMETOWN: Elmhurst, Illinois PREVIOUS MARATHONS: Debut RUNNER STORY: Tim Radcliffe will compete in his first marathon this year in Chicago. His inspiration comes from his desire to match his siblings’ performance in the race. His older brother, Jim, ran in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2003. Being a Chicagoan, Tim wanted to support his brother with all of his ability during the race. He followed Jim during the race on his bicycle and hoped to film as much of Jim’s performance as possible. Throughout the race, Tim would catch up and fall behind, always trying to catch a glimpse of his big brother through the sea of runners. Tim recalls filming him around mile 20, watching him disappear over a slight incline and wave an energetic two fingers in the air. The peace sign had always meant something special to both brothers and Tim realized Jim must have seen him filming from the sidelines. He would later learn that when Jim saw him, he was inspired to push through the end of the race at a time when he was considering walking the remainder. Jim charged across the finish line with a time of 4:15. A few years later the Radcliffe family was shaken with a life-threatening scare from their little sister, Jennifer. Unbeknownst to her, she suffered an ectopic pregnancy causing her fallopian tube to burst. She collapsed in her home and lost more than half of her blood from internal bleeding. Rescued by her 4 year old son’s call to a neighbor, Jennifer was fortunate that her heart never stopped beating. She had been a track athlete in school and had kept up with her physical fitness. Running saved her life. After an emotional recovery, Tim insisted that she compete in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. He knew it would help get her life back together and he was prepared to support her all the way. Tim was Jennifer’s personal assistant throughout the race. He shuttled her around the city, making sure she was in the right places at the right times before the race. He prepared a map with checkpoints promising to meet her along the way, just as he had done for his brother. Armed with his video camera and a backpack loaded with food, water, and Gatorade, Tim was with her through the end of the race. She finished her first marathon with a time of 3:24; despite a brief pause to hug her husband and kids on sidelines in the middle of the race! One might question why a man would challenge his siblings to compete in a marathon without enduring the trials himself. Tim was not out of shape or lazy. In fact, he had been an active cyclist for many years. His absence from running was due to the surgical screw placed in his ankle following a severely broken foot. Yet after watching his brother and sister successfully complete The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, Tim has been inspired to train and compete in this year’s race. He looks forward to seeing his family in the crowd as he strives to finish the race. 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. Tim’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest