Join us and keep the race day spirit alive!

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 11^thannual 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.

MAKE RACE DAY BETTER

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon and 10K has partnered with Athlinks to add to your race day experience and allow for your friends and family to share in your experience.

Athlinks brings you enhanced real time Athlete tracking using on-course timing data and more. Download the Athlinks App from the App Store or Google Play and share your race day.

FOLLOW THE OFFICIAL EVENT FEED

Keep up to date with all the latest info on the official event feed

1. Select the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K from the DISCOVER tab
2. Select FEED tab in the navigation bar
3. To receive push notifications, tap the FOLLOW button

LIVE TIMING AND COURSE SPLITS

1. Select the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K from the DISCOVER tab
2. Select TRACKING tab in the navigation bar
3. Search for athlete by name or bib number
4. Tap + button. Repeat steps 3-4 for more athletes if you wish
5. Tap DETAILS to see athlete’s time as they cross timing mats along the course.

SHARE YOUR FINISHER CERTIFICATE ON FACEBOOK

1. Select Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K from the DISCOVER tab
2. Select RESULTS tab in the navigation bar
3. Search for result by name or bib number. Select a result.
4. Tap SHARE to share to Facebook!

Have questions? Contact Athlinks support at Support@athlinks.com

Get ready for the 2018 Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K taking place Sunday, May 20! We’ve been making preparations to make this year’s race the best one ever!

Whether you’ll be running the half marathon or the 10K distance, we can’t wait for you to celebrate the 10th running of this special race and experience race weekend; not to mention the Spring Market Finish Festival venue out of gorgeous Maggie Daley Park.

Check out the Athlete Guide for detailed schedules, packet pick-up dates and times, course information and more!

> View the 2018 Athlete Guide here

Please keep an eye on our website, Facebook page and emails for any additional updates before the race. We’ll see you at the Start line!

LIFE TIME PARTNERS WITH USATF – ILLINOIS TO BRING STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS TO CHICAGO

10K and Half Marathon State Championships Coming to Chicago

Chicago, IL  (March 22) — The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, and Chicago Half Marathon & 5K produced by Life Time^® Healthy Way of Life, are partnering with the USA Track & Field (USATF) – Illinois Association to host state champioinships. Together with Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment brand, USATF – Illinois will be a driving force in providing a premier race experience for local developing athletes.

Set for Sunday, May 20, the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K will host this years’ USATF – Illinois 10K Championship. While on Sunday, September 23, the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K will host the USATF – Illinois Half Marathon Championship.

“Life Time has grown the interest and demand for a quality race experience using an athlete first approach and including participants of all abilities” said Gregory Evans, Long Distance Running Chair for USATF – Illinois Association. “USATF Illinois is proud to bring the national governing body to the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K and Chicago Half Marathon, adding another level of benefits to the participants and other race partners.”

“Partnering with USATF – Illinois is the next step as we continue to build on providing quality, premier race experiences for our athletes.” said Life Time Run Brand Manager, Dan Lakin, says of the USATF – Illinois partnership,  “Life Time is dedicated to improving our local communities, and providing events that are best-in-class. Whether an elite athlete or a beginner,  Life Time and USATF provide a vehicle to foster athletes at every level along their healthy way of life journey. We’re excited to to welcome the State Championships to Chicago at this years’ event and for years to come.”

An estimated 8,000 runners are expected to participate in this year’s Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K and another 13,000 are expected to take on the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K this September.  In addition to age group and masters awards; each race will offer a prize purse to the top 3 men and women:

To place in a championship race, registered participants must be a current member of USATF at the time of the race. Information on USATF membership and it’s benefits may be found at USATF.org

About the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K

The Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, in its 10th year, benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Participants will run either 13.1 miles or 10K (6.1 miles) starting along famed Grant Park traversing South along Columbus Drive, and run through Museum Campus and along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront before finishing in Maggie Daley Park. In its inaugural year, 1900 people signed up for the race, today it is one of the most in-demand racecs in Chicago selling out at just over 8,000 participants.
More information is available at ChicagoSpringHalf.com.

About the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K
The Chicago Half Marathon & 5K, in it’s 22^nd year, highlights Chicago’s south shore. Stepping off from historic Jackson Park, participants traverse through Hyde Park before navigating along a traffic-free Lake Shore Drive. The Chicago Half Marathon is a flat and fast course offering up stunning views of Chicago’s famed skyline and a triumphant finish at the foot of the “Golden Lady” (Statue of the Republic).
More information at chicagohalfmarathon.com

Both races are part of the Chicagoland Half Marathon Series which includes the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K (May 20) and the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K (September 23) and awards participants for completing 2 half marathons within the same year. 

About Life Time^®, Healthy Way of Life

Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 131 destinations in 37 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s only Healthy Way of Life 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 encompasses the entire spectrum of daily life for individuals, couples and families of all ages. For more information visit  lifetime.life. 

About USATF – Illinois

USATF – Illinois seeks to promote the sport and its local athletes across the state, and is one of 57 USATF Associations across the country. Visit illinois.usatf.org for more information.

Based in Indianapolis, USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world’s oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States. Information on USATF membership and it’s benefits may be found at USATF.org

Byline Bank Named Title Sponsor of Chicago Spring Half Marathon

The Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, produced by Life Time® Healthy Way of Life, is welcoming premium, local financial brand, Byline Bank, to its ranks as title sponsor. Together with Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment brand, Byline Bank will be a driving force in providing a premier race experience for new and veteran athletes.

Set for Sunday, May 20, the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K is Chicago’s spring race celebrating the city’s emergence from winter hibernation where Elite and Age Group athletes from around Chicago, and the world, come to race. The race, which sold out in previous years, is part of the 2018 Chicagoland Half Marathon Series and will host this years’ USA Track & Field – Illinois 10K Championship.

“At Byline, we believe in supporting the communities where we live, work and play. We’re excited to be sponsoring the Chicago Spring Half Marathon, it is a natural fit. As we continue to grow and improve – we’re committed to working as hard as our neighbors to support them as they run towards their fitness and financial goals. We look forward to cheering on the participants at the finish line,” said Byline Bank President and Chief Executive Officer, Alberto J. Paracchini.

Run Brand Manager at Life Time, Dan Lakin, says of the Byline Bank partnership, “As two companies dedicated to improving our local communities, and providing products, services and events that are best-in-class, we couldn’t imagine a better partner when it comes to the Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K. We’re excited to introduce Byline Bank to athletes at this year’s event and for years to come.”

An estimated 7,000 runners are expected to participate in this year’s Byline Bank Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Participants will run either 13.1 miles or 10K (6.1 miles) starting along famed Grant Park traversing South along Columbus Drive, and run through Museum Campus and along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront before finishing in Maggie Daley Park. More information is available at www.ChicagoSpringHalf.com.

About the Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K
The Chicago Spring Half Marathon & 10K, in its 10th year, is part of the Chicagoland Half Marathon Series which includes the Chicago Half Marathon & 5K (September 23) and awards participants for completing 2 half marathons within the same year. In its inaugural year, 1900 people signed up for the race, today it is one of the most in-demand half marathons in Chicago selling out at just over 7,000 participants.

About Life Time®, Healthy Way of Life
Life Time champions a healthy and happy life for its members across 130 destinations in 37 major markets in the U.S. and Canada. As the nation’s only Healthy Way of Life 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 encompasses the entire spectrum of daily life for individuals, couples and families of all ages. For more information visit www.lifetime.life.

About Byline Bank
Headquartered in Chicago, Byline Bank, a subsidiary of Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:BY), is a full service commercial bank serving small- and medium-sized businesses, financial sponsors, and consumers. Byline Bank has approximately $3.4 billion in assets and operates more than 50 full service branch locations throughout the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. Byline Bank offers a broad range of commercial and retail banking products and services including small ticket equipment leasing solutions and is one of the top 10 Small Business Administration lenders in the United States.

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.