Posted: September 26, 2007

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

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Perry Romanowski has added two dimensions to his running of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon – raising funds for charity and juggling three bean bags through the entire course. WHO: Perry Romanowski AGE: 38 OCCUPATION: Scientist HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois PREVIOUS MARATHONS: 22 RUNNER STORY: Perry Romanowski brings a special goal to this year’s LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Not only does he hope to help raise money for his selected charity, Global Business Assist (GBA), but he intends to do it with guts. Perry will not walk, but run the entire marathon …while juggling! Many might envision him slowly making his way through the course while concentrating on not dropping the three bean bags he tosses, but he will do no such thing. With a prior personal best of 3:24 he is sure to have spectators in awe. Perry’s unique sport is better known as “joggling” and he has been doing it for years. He loves training for the marathons and finds himself using little techniques to help him through. He is always looking for new ideas whether it’s resolving to outrun someone who has passed him or developing tricks to help him forget about his aching lungs. Each mile seems to disappear under his feet a little quicker when he is not entirely focused on one thing. His focus for The 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will be inspired by GBA and the goals they seek to achieve. Global Business Assist is best known for its aid to the poverty-stricken people in Sudan, with their center of attention surrounding the Darfur area. They do not just send supplies and hope for the best. Rather, they seek to provide the residents with professionals and materials which will provide long-term assistance. As part of the team supporting this charity, Perry hopes to bring attention to the cause and importance of sharing resources internationally. Perry’s goals are similar to many of the other runners, the only difference is in the way he executes his goals. He has a passion for competition and he hopes to raise awareness and, of course, money for the charity he chose. He also enjoys adding a little extra something to entertain the crowds and hopes to turn heads with his speed. Of the twenty-something marathons he’s run, Chicago holds the title of Perry’s favorite. He adores the city and the unparalleled excitement that this marathon radiates. WEB SITES: www.justyouraveragejoggler.com; www.gba.org. 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. Perry’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest