Dressel, Verdon, Romanchuk and Scaroni Make History as First Champions
CHICAGO – Beneath an overcast sky and under nearly ideal race conditions, thousands of runners gathered on Chicago’s West Side to run the inaugural Bank of America Chicago 13.1. Starting and finishing in Garfield Park, runners toured Humboldt and Douglass Parks while traversing the neighborhoods that line the city’s historic boulevards. John Dressel and Carrie Verdon broke the tape in the elite men’s and women’s running competitions, while three-time winner of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Daniel Romanchuk, and Paralympic gold medalist and 5,000m world record holder, Susannah Scaroni. won the wheelchair races.
“Today’s start line marked the beginning of another world-class running event in the City of Chicago,” said Carey Pinkowski, Executive Race Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Shamrock Shuffle, and Chicago 13.1. “We are humbled by the support we received from community groups, run clubs and volunteers. This race started as an idea years ago, and we are excited to watch it grow in partnership with the West Side community. This is the essence of what running is about.”
The Bank of America Chicago 13.1 was first announced in the fall of 2019 with a vision to reimagine running events in Chicago, extending beyond the lakefront and creating a festival-like race experience for runners and community members alike. The inaugural race was initially scheduled to take place in 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus global pandemic.
The men’s race started with a pack of seven running through the first 5K stride for stride, but the pack dwindled to three by the 10K mark with Dressel, local elite Colin Mickow, and Kenyan Dominic Korir moving into podium positions. Korir lost contact with the leaders before the 15K as the race became a fast-moving duel between Dressel and Mickow. Dressel hit the gas pedal hard coming into the final miles, setting a personal best in 1:02:17 while becoming the first-ever men’s champion of the Chicago 13.1. Mickow crossed the line in second in 1:02:37 and Korir took bronze in 1:03:48.
2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion and Olympian Galen Rupp, inspired by the enthusiasm and energy of the weekend, decided Sunday morning to join the field for a training run and tour of Chicago’s West Side. Rupp crossed the finish line in just over an hour and 14 minutes.
In the women’s race, Colorado’s Carrie Verdon took the lead early and gradually extended it throughout the race, breaking the tape in 1:11:15. Over the past year and a half, Verdon has cemented herself as a top contender among a deep pool of elite female athletes from the United States. Japan’s Mao Ichiyama finished second in 1:13:45 and Israel’s Maor Tiyouri rounded out the top three in 1:14:00. Rachel Dadamio was the first local woman across the finish line, with a gun time of 1:18:30.
The men’s wheelchair competition included a photo finish between Romanchuk and Aaron Pike, with Romanchuk barely edging Pike at the line. Both men stopped the clock in 44:24. Evan Correll finished third in 47:28. Scaroni put her competition behind her early and crossed the line first in 46:07. The race for second and third included a fast-charging pack of three, with Jenna Fesemyer finishing second in 52:21 and Yen Hoang finishing third in 52:21.
For more information about this year’s inaugural Chicago 13.1, go to chicago13point1.com.
About the Bank of America Chicago 13.1
The Bank of America Chicago 13.1 will offer runners a unique experience, bringing a world-class half marathon to the neighborhoods of Chicago’s West Side. The inaugural event will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2022. The event will debut a new kind of racing experience to the Chicago running community featuring a mix of fitness and lifestyle activations designed to inspire runners to connect with the communities where we live, work, and run. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to chicago13point1.com.
