Posted: September 23, 2007

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

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days While training for her first marathon with her father, Ludivine Gilli sustained severe injuries to her legs in an automobile accident. Determined to experience the race as planned with her father, she hobbled alongside him on crutches for 13.2 miles. Her injuries now fully healed, she will complete her first full race at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. WHO: Ludivine Gilli AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: PhD student/Project manager with IRSN HOMETOWN: Paris, France PREVIOUS MARATHONS: Debut RUNNER STORY: Ludivine Gilli had hoped to make her marathon debut at the Marine Corps Marathon with her father. She was looking forward to training and competing with her father, but her goals were shattered when she was involved in a destructive car accident. She suffered severe injuries to her legs preventing her from being able to walk without assistance. Her tibia and fibula were broken and she sustained fractures in both ankles. Ludivine was heartbroken that she would not be able to run in the race. She still wanted to support her Dad so she traveled to Washington, D.C. with the hope of watching him cross the finish line. When she realized the completion of this task was unavailable to her she decided she would have to find another way to be a part of the race. Her determination to be with her Dad brought her to the start line. She decided to attempt to hobble along on her crutches for as long as she could stand it. The miles passed under her feet and the task became more painful with every step. Amazingly, Ludivine managed to endure 13.2 miles before she had to withdraw! Though she had not crossed the finish line, she had won an important mental victory. She was ecstatic to have accomplished such a feat considering her injuries were still unhealed and her ability to maneuver on crutches was far from athletic. She was now filled with the desire to compete in another marathon. Once her legs and ankles were fully healed she began her training routine again with the hope of proving that she could in fact go the full distance. Ludivine selected The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon as the race to feature her first, healthy attempt in competing. She has always enjoyed running and is looking forward to finally being able to meet the goal she set for herself so long ago. She anticipates another personal conquest as she glides through the beautiful city of Chicago. 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. Ludivine’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest