As 40,000 runners are making their way through the Windy City as part of the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the history and preparation that goes into the Midwest's biggest race has made the event what it is today.
With participants all over the world running their way through Chicago right now, here's a few trivia questions to quiz yourself on your knowledge of the Chicago Marathon. The answers to the following questions can be found at the bottom of this article.
What was the first year of the Chicago Marathon?
- A: 1968
- B: 1980
- C: 1977
Outside of the United States, where do must runners come from?
- A: Mexico
- B: England
- C: Ethiopia
Why are runners given foil blankets after the race?
- A: To make them look like a baked potato
- B: To wipe off sweat
- C: To regulate body temperature
Legend has it that in 1908, the distance of a marathon was extended from 25 miles to 26.2 miles exactly because the Queen of England...
- A: Wanted the finish line to end in her vegetable garden
- B: Wanted her children to be able to look out the window and see the finish line
- C: Wanted the race to finish at her swimming pool so runners could cool off.
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What is the record for the fastest marathon completed running backwards?
- A: Under 4 hours
- B: Under 5 hours
- C: Under 6 hours
Where was the coldest marathon on record?
- Chicago
- Siberia
- Antarctica
What is the record for the most marathons won by twins?
- A: 57
- B: 54
- C: 68
Horst Priesler holds the record for most marathons completed. How many has he done?
- A: 989
- B: 1,305
- C: 553
Additionally, here's some trivia tidbits about what's behind the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon:
- 66,048 gallons of water and 32,928 gallons of Gatorade will be served to runners today, using 1.2 million paper cups.
- Since 2002, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has raised $265 million for local, national and global causes.
- The average runner will burn 100 calories per mile ran, averaging out to over 2,600 calories burned by the end of the race.
Below are the answers to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon trivia questions:
- Q: What was the first year of the Chicago Marathon?
- A: 1977
- Q: Outside the United States, where do most runners come from?
- A: Mexico
- Q: Why are runners given foil blankets after the race?
- A: To regulate body temperature and warm them up to prevent hypothermia by reflecting body heat.
- Q: Legend has it that in 1908, the distance of a marathon was extended from 25 miles to 26.2 miles because the Queen of England...
- A: Wanted her children to be able to look out the window and see the finish line
- Q: What is the record for the fastest marathon completed running backwards?
- A: Under 4 hours, with a final time of 3:43:39
- Q: Where was the coldest marathon on record?
- A: Siberia, where the 2001 Siberian Ice Marathon reached a temperature of -39 degrees.
- Q: What is the record for the most marathons won by twins?
- A: 68, from Theresa Massey and Julia Wellings
- Q: Horst Priesler holds the records for most marathons completed. How many has he done?
- A: 1,305
