Three college friends were among the over 47,000 people who ran the 45th Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
"It's been super fun to see a bunch of friends on the course," Alex Gold said.
Gold ran the 26.2-mile course with a little help from his friends, Nathan Troester and Jordan Hebert. The trio are graduates of the University of Illinois and say there's nothing better than running together.
"The energy is great the whole time, it's so awesome," said Hebert.
As 23-year-old Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum set a new world record, finishing the race in 2:00:35, the group of friends finished around the 3-hour mark and enjoyed running across the city's endless crowds.
"You think that the crowds are going to taper off eventually and they just never do," said Hebert.
The three friends gathered along the finish line, beer in hand, as they shared how the cheering crowds gave them stamina and strength.
AnnMarie Welser
"Early on in the race, just feeding off the crowd and feeling the energy; there's nothing like it," said Troester.
Millions of people cheered on the tens of thousands of racers. Along the course, people handed out tequila shots, beer, water, bananas and more. Seventy-one different community cheer zones were situated throughout the city as runners from across the globe raced to the finish line.
"The race has an international feel to it too, it's really cool," said Gold.
Runners have already begun setting their goal for 2024. Next year's Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Oct. 13, 2024. Applications will open on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
