CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago Marathoners Ivette Garcia and Luis Tofino won't just be taking home a pair of 2023 Chicago Marathon medals after this weekend's race — they'll each be wearing a wedding ring, as well.
Garcia and Tofino are among the couples participating in the "Dash to the Altar," a Chicago Marathon event in which up to 26 couples will be treated to a free wedding or civil union underneath the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue.
Garcia told WBBM's Josh Liss that it was an "amazing opportunity."
"Basically, being able to visit a beautiful city like Chicago, having a beautiful wedding ceremony and doing what we usually love, which is running marathons," Garcia said.
Although Tofino said he bride-to-be tends to fare better in distance running, Garcia added that they have agreed to run this year's race together.
"On race day, it'll be a mix of happy feelings from getting married and hearing the crowd in Chicago — and just enjoying all of the sights that Chicago has to offer," she said. "We're not native to Chicago, but at least it will give us an opportunity to see the city as a whole."
Predictably, the couple did include running shoes on their registry list.
The couple currently plans to return to the Chicago Marathon for their anniversary.
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