Hot Shoes: Photographing the Chicago Marathon
There are a few things you need to know about the Chicago Marathon.
First, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is one of six Abbott World Major Marathons, which is the same series as other historic races you probably have heard of: Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Tokyo Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon. These are the largest marathons in the world in terms of participants, but since they take place in major cities, they also draw massive crowds of spectators and deep elite fields.
Second, the Chicago Marathon course is fast. The distance is the real challenge of the marathon, which applies to everyone from the couch-to-marathon runner to the professional that has been training full-time with a dedicated coach, team, and sponsor. 26.2 miles is a long distance to be moving at your race pace. However, the Chicago Marathon makes the distance a little easier with its lack of big hills and near-sea level elevation. My first marathon ever was in Madison, WI and it was particularly hilly. When I followed that race with the Chicago Marathon a year later, it felt like a breeze in comparison. The fact that the Chicago Marathon course is so fast means it has held many world and American records in its history. The world record has been broken five times at the Chicago Marathon.
The large crowds combined with the attention of the running world creates an electrifying weekend in the city. I was thrilled to photograph it.
The morning of the marathon was chilly, as always. As I navigated the city with my boyfriend, Nick, and my best photography friend, Dan, I could already feel the excitement of the day. We passed roadblocks and volunteers setting up water stations and I wondered how early they had gotten there, silently applauding their efforts. We navigated through a few L stops to get to Chinatown, where I would be photographing the elite runners. I purposely arrived early to allow myself time to lock in my camera settings, check batteries and memory cards, chat with other photographers and find my spot along the side of the street before it swelled with spectators.
Runners pass through Chinatown just after mile 21 in the race course. Mile 20 is where most people start to feel the effects of pounding on asphalt. At this point, your joints ache, your legs suddenly feel like 500 lb dumbbells, and your lungs are exhausted. This is the point that elites train for - how to run fast when it feels impossible.
As a photographer, this was a fascinating point to be at. I captured pain faces, pumping arms, stretching strides. I snapped photos of Emily Sisson as she flew through the streets with strong form and a poker face, later finding out that she set the American marathon record. My heart raced to the rhythm of my high-speed shutter, but I kept my hands steady on the lens and my focus set.
As a long-time fan of running, being able to photograph your favorite professional runners at a major marathon is the equivalent to standing on the sidelines of your favorite NBA or NFL game or being on the set of your favorite movie while it's being filmed. It's surreal and impressive and inspiring to see these professionals perfom at the highest level a few feet in front of you. It makes me want to ask how they did it, even though I know the answer is a combination of superhuman talent and hard work.
This is why I love photographing running. It is quick and exciting and I am constantly inspired by these athletes. Being able to photograph the elite runners, in my home city, as part of a World Major Marathon was a dream and an invaluable opportunity. Time to do more of this.
