Officials with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon released data this week showing a record-breaking year for economic impact from the 2023 edition of the event.
This year’s Marathon will take place on Sunday, Oct. 13, but will have plenty to live up to after last year’s race provided $547 million in economic impact for the city of Chicago, according to officials.
“At over half a billion dollars of impact, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon proved to be one of the greatest drivers of economic activity in Chicagoland in 2023,” Rich Gamble, Interim president and CEO of Choose Chicago, said in a statement. “Marathon weekend is one of the most important dates on the calendar in Chicago, and no event better exemplifies our city’s hosting abilities than the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.”
According to officials, the marathon has had an economic impact of more than $2.3 billion since 2017. Benefits were observed in a variety of city industries, including hospitality, food service, retail and transportation, according to data.
Nearly 49,000 runners participated in the 2023 race, an increase of more than 13%.
According to the press release, nearly 3,700 full-time jobs are connected to the race, providing nearly $183 million in wages and salary to employees.
Carey Pinkowski, the executive race director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, said that race organizers are “humbled” by the continued growth of the event.
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“Whether it’s economic or charitable impact, or the prestige of the event itself, we continue to be humbled by the marathon’s growth. We’ve come a long way and we owe so much to the 10,000+ passionate volunteers and countless community members who make race weekend possible,” Pinkowski said.
This year’s marathon will be televised live on NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago beginning at 7 a.m. and running through 11 a.m. Livestreams will also be available on both stations’ websites and mobile apps, as well as the NBC Chicago 24/7 streaming channel.
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The live finish line camera will be available until 3 p.m. on both apps and websites.
The live stream can be accessed via the homepage of Peacock on race day. It will also be available on Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity, and FreeVee.
