Chicago Closes In Record Time

8 FEB2012

Registration for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon closed on Monday (February 6) afternoon after being open for only six days. A total of 45,000 participants signed up for what will be the 35th anniversary of the race, which takes places on Sunday, October 7.

The speed in which the entry capacity was reached underlines the increasing popularity of the event. Last year's registration closed after 31 days, whilst a decade ago the marathon didn't fill its quota until the 35th week.

Race organisers are attributing the upturn in popularity to heightened social media coverage surrounding the event and the fact the competition is now entering a commemorative year. The 2011 event saw Kenya's Moses Mosop set a new course record with a time of 2:05:37, whilst Liliya Shobukhova became the first woman to secure victory in three consecutive years.