Category Archive: Partner News

THOUSANDS PARTICIPATE IN 2019 BYLINE BANK SPRING HALF MARATHON & 10K PRODUCED BY LIFE TIME, NEW COURSE RECORD SET

Jordan Chester of Allendale, Michigan and Colin Mickow of Naperville, Illinois claimed victory for female and male Half Marathon categories, respectively

CHICAGO, May 19—More than 8,000 runners took to Chicago streets on Sunday in the 11thannual Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, produced by Life Time. The race celebrates the city’s emergence from winter hibernation and the unofficial start of the 2019 endurance running season. 

In addition to a sellout race, the top-three male Half Marathon finishers set new course records, including Colin Mickow with a time of 01:06:29:54, Christopher May with 01:06:58:58; and Dylan Lafond at 01:08:30:68. The top female finishers included Jordan Chester with 01:19:59:31; Maria Lindberg with 01:21:40:57; and Laura Hillard at 01:21:57:09.

Top 10K finishers included: Kati Snyder, 00:38:12:17; Vanessa Righeimer, 00:39:00:62; and Tere Zacher, 00:39:02:84 for female racers; and Dan Kremske, 00:31:44:04; Ryan Rutherford, 00:32:40:73; and Jay Welp, 00:32:56:15 for male finishers.

The race delivered an intimate urban setting along a gorgeous lakefront course to 8,000 participants from 25 countries and 45 states. The course took runners up and down Columbus Drive and through a combination of closed streets and Lakefront Path giving way to sweeping views of Chicago’s famed skyline, Lake Michigan and historic Chicago sites like Soldier Field, Navy Pier and more.

Afterwards, runners celebrated at the Spring Market Finish Festival with a gourmet catered hot-breakfast buffet, do-it-yourself flower station, Begyle Brewing beer garden, live music and local vendors.

“Despite the threat of storms, runners made the most of today’s event and brought some great energy to the streets of Chicago,” says Senior Life Time Run Brand Manager Dan Lakin. “Congratulations to all participants on a great race, and many thanks to the hundreds of volunteers, city officials, local companies and staff that made today possible.”

In addition to the Spring Market Finish Festival, participants received a finisher medal; gourmet breakfast buffet in the Spring Market Finish Festival along with Begyle Beer, Live Music and more. 

The race, which also supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), raised $250,000 for MDA Care Centers at the nation’s top medical institutions for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. Title Sponsor, Byline Bank issued a $5,000 donation to MDA’s efforts.

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon/10K is the first of two races produced by Life Time in the 2019 Chicagoland Half Marathon Series, which also includes the HOKA ONE ONE Chicago Half Marathon on September 29. Participants who compete in both half marathon distances earn a custom, 26.2 Challenge finisher medal at the final event. Currently, more than 2,000 athletes are registered for the Series.

With a record number of runners, this year’s race sold out for the second time in a row – 2020 registration will open at noon on Tuesday at ChicagoSpringHalf.com.

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half is owned and produced by Life Time, the premier healthy lifestyle brand. It is among more than 30 premier athletic events owned and produced by the company across the nation, which also operates 10 athletic resort and spas in Chicagoland. Life Time strives to produce exceptional event experiences for both participants and spectators as an extension of its Healthy Way of Life philosophy.

About Life Time® – Healthy Way of Life

Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 143 destinations in 39 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand, Life Time delivers an unmatched athletic resort experience and provides a comprehensive healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment experience that goes well beyond fitness to encompass the entire spectrum of daily life for individuals, couples and families of all ages. More info is available atwww.lifetime.life.

Million Kid Run

In the spirit of Global Running Day, people of all different ages and abilities are encouraged to pledge to run. With these different age divisions comes one for the kids. The Million Kid Run is an aspect of Global Running Day that aims at getting one million kids from all over the globe to participate in running. The whole idea behind it is to get kids moving and keep them active. In 2016, there were over 600,000 kids who pledged to run (672,030 to be exact). Not bad for the first year the idea was introduced! This year, our goal is to increase that number even more.

While the concept of the Million Kid Run is one that was just recently introduced during Global Running Day in 2016, the initiative of getting kids to be more active was introduced years ago. In 2010, the campaign that aimed at reducing childhood obesity rates for the younger generation was introduced by President Obama. Leading this Let’s Move movement was first lady, Michelle Obama. The overall goal of this campaign sought to diminish obesity rates as well as raise awareness to this growing problem in a generation that our country was faced with. The health, fitness, and lifestyle of our youth is something that Michelle Obama has set out to improve.

“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake.”

Obesity and health problems go hand in hand. A person who is obese faces the increased risk of chronic health problems including diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and heart problems. The Let’s Move initiative seeks to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle for kids all across the world in order to ensure that they are able to live their lives to the fullest potential. The Million Kid Run is no exception to this campaign. The Million Kid Run reinforces what Let’s Move stand for: a healthy and active lifestyle for all children.

Our event at the Grant Park Plaza is located in a family-friendly area, where we encourage people of all ages to come out and run. This day emphasizes the importance of running and staying active in a fun and carefree way. There is no winner or loser and no specified pace in which participants must run. This ensures that there is a simplified purpose behind the run: to see the fun side of fitness and a healthy lifestyle. We aim to inspire kids to celebrate a healthy and fun lifestyle with people from all around the world!

 

                          CK

 

Works Cited:

“Global Running Day.” Global Running Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2017.

National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 31 May 2017.