Two participants in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon got married on the course and went on to finish the race.
Some brides spend months, even years, planning their weddings. Stephanie Reinhart trained for hers. Nope, she wasn’t trying to fit into the dress of her dreams. She and groom Mark Jockel trained to prepare for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the site of their wedding.
In front of family and friends, the pair stopped at an altar decorated with race medals at mile 8 and tied the knot. The bride wore a white tennis dress, while the groom wore a tech shirt with a tuxedo print and functional black shorts. They had just enough time for a kiss and a Gatorade toast before finishing the last 18.2 miles together. The wedding venue was fitting since the couple met during a marathon training program a few year ago.
The newlyweds crossed the finish line as husband and wife in around five-and-a-half hours. While the wedding was certainly the most unique event on the course today, there were other noteworthy accomplishments. Actor Steve McQueen ran the marathon for Team Imerman Angels in a time of 4:16:39. Former Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer raised money for the American Cancer Society, finishing the race in 3:38:09.
In the first year that the Chicago Marathon was held without pacesetters for elite runners, Dickson Chumba of Kenya finished first with a time of 2:09:25, twenty five seconds ahead of Sammy Kitwara, also of Kenya. Rounding out the top three for the men was Kenyan Sammy Ndungu with a time of 2:10.06. In case your marathon math is rusty, their pace was under five minutes per mile.
On the women’s side, Florence Kiplagat of Kenya finished first with a time of 2:23:33. In second place was Yebrgual Melese of Ethiopia with a time of 2:23:43. Fellow Ethiopian Birhane Dibaba finished third in 2:24:24.