The state's road course certifier has some helpful advice for those planning to reduce their times in this year's Bank of America Chicago Marathon: hug the turns.
Runners who don’t hug the 36 turns along the marathon route could unwittingly add up to a half mile to their race, resulting in unwanted extra minutes to their finishing time, said Jay Wight, who measures Chicago’s course for USA Track and Field
"Over a course that long, with that many turns, if you’re not running the tightest line, you’re going to be adding significant distance," he said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon -- this year on Oct. 13 -- annually draws 45,000 participants and 1.7 million spectators.
This year's race will feature four of the world's fastest runners. Additionally, it's the first race in a major U.S. city since the Boston Marathon bombings, prompting officials to greatly increase security.