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2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Wheelchair Elite: Manuela Schar

Learn more about the elite wheelchair racers competing at the 2019 Chicago Marathon

Manuela Schar finally earned her victory in Chicago in 2018 after finishing second three years in a row. Can she hold onto her crown? 

Name: Manuela Schar

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Standout Race: 

After finishing second to McFadden from 2013-2016 (she was third in 2017 – just two seconds behind McFadden and McGrory who clocked identical finish times), Schär finally took the crown in 2018. She also broke the official world record by more than a minute last September when she picked up her fourth title in Berlin in 1:36:53. In 2017, she became the fastest female wheelchair athlete in history when she ran 1:28:17 in Boston (Boston is not a world record eligible course). Six days later, she smashed the course record in London to end a string of second place finishes. She enters this year’s Chicago Marathon as the reigning Chicago, New York, Tokyo, Boston and London champion, and as the AbbottWMM Series XI and XII champion. 

More About Manuela Schar: 

Schär, a four-time Paralympian, made her Chicago Marathon debut in 2013 in convincing fashion, finishing second by two seconds behind defending champion McFadden. The pattern between McFadden and Schär continued in the AbbottWMM series: Schär finished second to McFadden in Chicago and New York in 2015, and second to McFadden in Boston, London, Chicago and New York in 2016. She was also the runner up to McFadden for the AbbottWMM Series X title. But in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Schär has been nearly invincible.

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