Jamesina Simpson slept only three hours Saturday night – slightly less than the time it took her to finish the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
“I didn’t think I was nervous (the night before the race), but I think I must’ve been,” said the McCormick graduate student. The Chicago Marathon was her second marathon.
With the sun shining and temperatures in the 50s Sunday morning, about 40,000 runners braced themselves for a 26.2-mile course that started and ended in Grant Park. The excitement of the runners and fans at the marathon helped propel a handful of Northwestern students across the finish line.
The crowd’s enthusiasm motivated Simpson to complete the course in three hours and nine minutes, she said after the race. Her finishing time placed her in the 1,225th spot overall out of about 40,000 and qualified her for the Boston Marathon. Qualification for that race depends on an entrant’s age, finish time and gender.
“The crowd was great,” she said. “There were lots of people cheering throughout the whole course. People were banging on things and making a lot of noise.”
Simpson said she plans to do the Boston Marathon in April but simply for enjoyment.
“The Boston course isn’t as fast as the Chicago Marathon’s,” she said. “I’ll run it because people say it’s a fun one to do, not to beat my Chicago time.”
Weinberg sophomore Jonathan Webber felt nervous before the race, but his fears were unfounded, he said.
“It was much easier than I thought it would be. I think it’s just a matter of the training and if you’re truly prepared for the race,” he said.
Webber also said his energy level surged because of the live entertainment on the course.
“(The music) was so good for motivation and it made it so much easier,” said Webber, who placed 8,014th overall with a time of three hours and 50 minutes. “Probably once a mile, there was some music or a stereo going.”
For Drew Austin, the crowds created a supportive atmosphere for his second marathon. He completed the race in three hours and 11 minutes and took 1,434th place overall.
“I felt really good during the race,” said Austin, a Weinberg senior and former DAILY staffer. “I really liked how everyone cheers for you. I’m definitely interested in doing another (marathon).”
Reach Allison Bond at [email protected].
