The historic strength of Hurricane Milton is impacting the journey of several runners planning to compete in the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. NBC Chicago’s Courtney Sisk reports.
Though tens of thousands of runners have long been preparing for the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, those planning to travel from Florida are facing a major threat from Hurricane Milton.
"I’m really nervous because I grew up here and this is the first time we’re really getting a direct hit like this," Jaimie Alliel, a Tampa native, told NBC Chicago. "I feel disappointed, and I’m sad and I see on Facebook and the groups that everyone is getting all psyched up for it... and I’m just like, I have to pack up my whole life and go somewhere else for a few days and hope that I have somewhere to come back to.”
Alliel has been running competitively for the past 10 years, and 2024 would have marked her first Chicago Marathon. She said the area was already recovering from Hurricane Helene just last week.
Alliel is not alone in making the difficult decision to drop out from the race this year, with West Palm Beach resident Tina Daughtry also unable to safely make the journey.
"You work so hard for these races and it takes months to prepare," she said. "I’ve been doing Chicago for a couple years, I love the race it’s my favorite... it’s already really flooded, gas is really low, we were planning to drive to save money and it’s not going to be able to work out.”
Daughtry will hunker down and hope for the best, while Alliel is evacuating, heading a bit further north. Both were able to defer their race to 2025.
Chicago Marathon officials issued the following statement:
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"First and foremost, our thoughts are with all of those in the track of Hurricane Milton. We’re closely monitoring the situation and how this very serious storm may impact participants from Florida and other potential storm-affected regions. We understand these participants may not be able to take part in this year’s race as they navigate the unknown challenges ahead and focus on their own safety and well-being. We will be in touch with participants in the coming days with information about what options they have regarding their participation in this or future Bank of America Chicago Marathons."
Officials say Hurricane Milton, now a Category 5 storm, could end up being the worst Florida hurricane in more than a century.
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The Tampa and Orlando airports are already closed, and mandatory evacuations are ordered along the coast.
