Chicago

Elite Runners Gear Up for 2019 Shamrock Shuffle

Olympian and American record-holder Deena Kastor, who won the 2005 and 2009 Shamrock Shuffle, will return to this year's event

NOTE: Watch the start and finish line cameras right here beginning at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. 

Runners of all levels will be standing at the starting line of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle this weekend, but there will be a few names crossing the finish line that are sure to make their mark. 

That's because Olympian and American record-holder Deena Kastor, who won the 2005 and 2009 Shamrock Shuffle, will return to this year's event. 

The duo are part of the Mammoth Track Club, which is making its debut in the Deloitte Elite Club Competition. The Kansas City Smoke will also return on the men's side to defend their title. 

“The Deloitte Elite Club Competition has grown into one of the most fun and competitive events for USATF-member running clubs in the nation. We are proud of the racing tradition we have built with this competition and with Deloitte’s partnership,” Carey Pinkowski, executive race director of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 40 years of the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle than with a legend like Deena coming back to Chicago. She epitomizes not only the spirit of a champion but of the entire running community.”

The Deloitte Elite Club Competition attracts USA Track and Field member clubs from around the U.S. to compete on the roads for a $20,000 prize and national recognition. Last year's competition featured more than 50 teams. 

Organizers of the Shamrock Shuffle also announced that three-time Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion Amanda McGrory will return to the Shuffle to compete in the inaugural wheelchair division of the Deloitte Elite Club Competition. 

Registration for the popular Chicago race and its new one-mile run is still open this week. (Register here)

The first wave of runners steps off at 8:30 a.m. with a second wave beginning at 9 a.m. 

This year's Shamrock Shuffle, which marks the 40th anniversary of the popular race, will once again take runners on a route through downtown Chicago, starting and ending in Grant Park. The shuffle is known as the unofficial kickoff to outdoor running season in Chicago. 

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