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| Carey Pinkowski is Race Director of the Chicago Marathon and has been since 1990. Under his leadership it has grown to one of the largest marathons in the world with over 30,000 finishers annually. Additionally, some of the fastest times in the world are a common annual occurrence and World Records have been set in both the men’s and women’s division. Carey was named 2001 Race Director of the Year. In his only marathon he raced the 1983 Chicago Marathon in 2:20:48 and qualified for the 1984 Olympic Trials Marathon. He competed collegiately for Villanova with personal bests of 13:48 for 5,000 meters and 29:12 for 10,000 meters. At Hammond (IN) High School he was State Champion twice in both cross-country and the mile. His best times were 4:12 for the mile and 8:56 for two miles. With his teammates, Tim Keogh and Rudy Chapa, he is part of the only trio of runners from one high school to break 9:00 for two miles in the same year. He resides in Elmhurst, Illinois with his wife, Sue, and children, Sarah and Matthew. Carey took time from his busy schedule to chat with me via phone while driving from Chicago to Indianapolis for a USATF Long Distance Running Committee meeting the day before he left for Fukuoka, Japan for their marathon event. |
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| GCR: | The 2009 Chicago Marathon marked your 20th year as Race Director. What are some of the biggest changes that occurred between when you took the helm and the race’s most recent edition? |
| CP | When I started marathoning in general didn’t have the popularity we see now at New York or Boston or Chicago or anywhere. Twenty years ago there was a specific group of people that came to marathons with a competitive goal to run a certain time or to qualify for the Boston Marathon or to place in their age group. Recently it has become a mass participation event where people have started running and are drawn to the marathon as for most it is the ultimate expression of running. There is a lot more information about training which makes the experience more enjoyable. The level of interest has increased tremendously in Chicago for participants, spectators and the general community. It has become ‘Marathon Weekend’ and as there is participation from around the country and the world the interest has elevated. Everyone is connected in some way to someone who is running the marathon – be it a family member or friend or worker. A funny story is back in my early days of being Race Director if someone showed up at the race and wasn’t registered I just gave them a bib number and application and told them to send me the application with a check in the next week! We don’t quite do that now! |
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| GCR: | Despite a cold 33-degree day, the elite men took aim at a World Record in 2009. A group including 2008 Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru, Paris Marathon champ Vincent Kipruto and Charles Munyeki went through the half marathon in 1:02 before Wanjiru pulled away to win in a course record 2:05:41. Morocco’s Abderrahim Goumri came on strong for his fourth runner-up finish in a major marathon. What are your thoughts on the men’s race? |
| CP | Chicago is known for fast performances and that tradition goes back to Steve Jones in the mid-1980s when he broke the World Record once and just missed breaking it a second time. Sammy Wanjiru is the best marathon runner in the world and he came with the idea of running fast. Weather conditions may have contributed to running a bit slower than he hoped and Sammy also may have played it a bit safe in the latter stages of the race when Goumri was moving up as the win was most important. We were excited about the course record and I think he can go faster. Hopefully we can get him back and Sammy can give it another shot. We were fortunate the wind wasn’t a factor early on though it did pick up the final six to eight miles. The temperature was probably about ten degrees cooler than perfect, though all World Records have been set on cool days. |
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| GCR: | The 2009 women’s race was a tactical affair with no one willing to break the race open early. Liliya Shobukhova was in a group of nine women in 1:15:04 at the halfway point which included former champions Lidiya Grigoryeva, Deena Kastor and Berhane Adere. Shobukhova pulled away in the last few miles to win in 2:25:56 with a big negative split. How did the excitement of this competitive race compare with a solo effort at a World or Course Record challenging pace? |
| CP | The women were very conservative, patient and tactical which was interesting. It’s ‘racing’ so you don’t know how the athletes will assess the day, the conditions and the talent. I thought with Liliya Shobukhova’s track credentials that someone would have made a move earlier. The race just played into Liliya’s hands as she is extremely fast though relatively new to the marathon. She ran a spectacular race and her last four miles she was very strong and looked like she was just out for a training session. I think she has a lot more to offer in the marathon. Chicago is a place where athletes like Liliya who have a track background in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters can take advantage of the fast, flat course. |
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| GCR: | You were recognized by the City of Chicago for your 20 years of event leadership with the installation of a ‘Carey Pinkowski Drive’ street sign at the site of the Chicago Marathon’s historic start line. Reflect on this acknowledgement of your efforts. |
| CP | It was a great honor to have the start of the marathon at Grant Park named for me. It was a surprise and very special recognition. It has been a charmed life for me to be involved in the sport of running which I have done since I was a young boy. For it to be my livelihood to get up each morning and to do something that is involved with running is something that not too many people get a chance to do. These twenty years have been a team effort with the support of the City of Chicago, the Aldermen, police departments, neighborhoods, corporations and thousands of volunteers who work very, very hard and there should be at least a thousand other names on that sign. Chicago is a great sports city and over the past twenty years Chicago has become a great running city. It is something the city has embraced and I’m glad to have been a part of expanding the sports profile of Chicago. |
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| GCR: | The World Marathon Majors was announced in 2006 when Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City banded together to form a Championship Series for Elite runners. What was the genesis of the series and how has this increased the Chicago Marathon’s stature in the world? |
| CP | The five marathons that are partners are the premier events in the world based on the athletes who have participated and the cities in which they are located. The five race directors have always had a great relationship though we had a fierce competitiveness. Our respect for each other and our races was healthy and as we found ourselves spending time together at each other’s events or at World Championships or the Olympics we found we had many of the same interests and challenges. Our operations managers, medical staff and others were sharing information and we realized we should try to connect these five great events. The most visible aspect is the Championship Series where we award prize money of $500,000 each year based on the past two-year cycle. Behind the scenes we are observing each other’s events and sharing more information. It is good for our five events but also for other races as each race has a program where Race Directors in other cities are invited to our races to see how we do things which will hopefully improve the race experience for their entrants. New procedures we do such as medal distribution changes or roll-off Mylar blankets that we implemented may be of use for other races. To be known as one of the World Marathon Majors can only ratify and cement our position in the realm of marathon running. |
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| GCR: | For many runners, racing the Boston, New York City and Chicago Marathon is on their ‘must run’ marathon list. How does it feel to preside over a race that is held in such high esteem and how do you find a balance between keeping its stature while managing a large field? |
| CP | The key word is ‘balance.’ We can’t focus too much on the elite athletes though I would like to see the World Record back in Chicago. We want everyone to have a great experience whether it is the Olympic Champion or someone who runs a three hour, four hour, five hour or six hour marathon. Everyone should feel special and we need to recognize the commitment they made to our event and do all we can to make it memorable. Our staff is hard-working and are always looking to make our event better, lots of fun and to leave our runners with a positive feeling. |
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| GCR: | The Chicago Marathon is one of the biggest in the world with an average of over 30,000 finishers during the past decade. Are the race and entire weekend’s events at the right size or can there be additional growth in upcoming years? |
| CP | We can grow somewhat since we have the starting corral areas. The timing technology with computer chips has allowed us to get bigger. We have 60,000 runners who want to enter but we have capped entrants and this past year did hit our cap earlier than ever. We aren’t caught up in being the largest. I’m sure we could start 38,000 runners, though 45,000 entrants could be a bit of a challenge. One thing that is different in comparison to many large marathons is our start and finish lines are in the same place. It’s not so much the participants, but the friends, family and spectators increase the crowds in the area. |
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| GCR: | Many marathons offer competitors the option of running a concurrent half marathon especially with the large number of novice participants. The Walt Disney World Marathon even moved their half marathon to Saturday to split up the field over two days. Is there any possibility of the Chicago Marathon Weekend adding a half marathon on either Saturday or Sunday especially with the half marathon point of the marathon being just a few blocks from the start? |
| CP | There are always requests and suggestions about this but the celebration of the marathon effort is what the Chicago Marathon is all about. Fifteen years ago we held a concurrent 5k race to grow our numbers, but we have had our big growth after we focused on the marathon. The atmosphere and celebration of the marathon distance and its great popularity in Chicago doesn’t lend itself to our adding a half marathon. |
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| GCR: | This past year you did have some great new ancillary events including: 1) a Niketown fun run and program with marathon legend Joan Benoit Samuelson, 5,000 and 10,000 meter specialist Bernard Lagat and 10,000 meter bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan; 2) a pep rally and 3) a Northside/Southside challenge for high-school cross-country runners who competed the morning of the marathon. Is this what we can expect – new additions to the Chicago Marathon experience? |
| CP | We do want to add events that enhance our participants’ entire Chicago Marathon Weekend. The high school challenge was to give teenage runners a chance to experience a part of our event. The youth base is important to us as we have many local cross country teams that volunteer for our races. We also have some of the top marathon runners meet with the high school runners. Additionally, we support high youth running in the Chicago area. And in the future many of these high school athletes will continue to be involved with our event as a volunteer or a participant. |
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| GCR: | A final promotion in 2009 was ultra marathon man Dean Karnazes teaming up with Volkswagen, the official automotive sponsor of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, to run two loops of the marathon course, which amounts to a 52.4 mile race. Dean’s back-to-back marathons were 3:52:17 and 3:57:28. How was it adding this element to stir interest within the media and public? |
| CP | Dean is an amazing athlete with what he does. He has a tank on him that is unbelievable. The fact that he ran the course twice and partnered with Volkswagen to promote their cars which have less of an impact on the environment created a lot of interest. |
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| GCR: | The 2007 edition of the Chicago Marathon coincided with a surprisingly hot day where temperatures reached nearly 90 degrees. Discuss the decision to stop the race with participants still on the course, the adequacy of pre-race preparations and the effect the large number of inexperienced entrants had on dehydration and other medical issues. |
| CP | The extreme conditions created some challenges and also some opportunities. It was probably one of the most challenging days a major marathon has faced due not only to the temperature but to very high humidity. It was the hottest day on record for the month of October in Chicago. Experienced runners were able to make adjustments, but since we have many first-time marathon runners we have reiterated in the past two years to participants that you must prepare properly and treat this seriously. We also stressed that if weather conditions are severe it may be smart to not race and wait until another day. Many entrants did this in 2007, but others who should have heeded the warning did not. Afterward we discussed the effects of the heat with many participants and we implemented a Med-alert system for the 2008 race. We refined and made improvements to our procedures that all marathons were able to learn from. In 2008 it was a warm day and the things that we learned from 2007 helped out tremendously. |
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| GCR: | Many ultra marathons have stations along the course where participants are weighed and must maintain within a certain percentage of their pre-race weight in order to continue. Would it be a possibility to have some weigh stations along the race route where runners could voluntarily do this to help assess their condition and prevent severe dehydration? |
| CP | It would be a challenge to weigh everybody but this thought process goes back to the basics. My old college coach at Villanova, Jumbo Elliott, used to suggest we not complicate things. It goes back to the routine of preparing for a marathon as far as hydrating, eating and adjusting to weather conditions. I think many runners pushed this to the back of their minds and it is important to pay attention to all of these things. Runners should be aware of what they are doing in training, take notes and use this to replicate in the race what they did in training. Getting more scientific with weight can help but these old guidelines are very relevant. |
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| GCR: | The Chicago Marathon is known for fast times including World Records during your tenure by Khalid Khannouchi in 1999 (2:05:42), Catherine Ndereba in 2001 (2:18:47) and Paula Radcliffe the following year (2:17:18). There have also been numerous men’s times in the 2:05 – 2:07 range. Is it important to have the possibility of a World Record performance each year? |
| CP | There is a certain amount of excitement about the fact that the race will be fast and this creates energy that connects more people to the race. Many things have to go right for there to be a World Record. In the last twenty years we have had three World Records by three magnificent athletes that arrived at the race fit and ‘Mother Nature’ cooperated. Chicago has been known for fast times since Steve Jones broke the World Record here and that’s part of our tradition. As long as fast competitors want to come here we will build our fields to have a shot at record performances. |
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| GCR: | There have been some extremely close finishes highlighted by Patrick Ivuti and Jaouad Gharib finishing in the same time in 2007, Deena Kastor winning by five seconds over defending champion Constantina Tomescu-Dita in 2005 and Felix Limo breaking away from a pack that same year where five men finished within 44 seconds. What are your exciting memories of these or other tight battles over the past twenty years? |
| CP | My first year as Race Director Antoni Niemczak and Martin Pitayo had a great, close finish. In 2007 that may have been our greatest finish ever. Joauad Gharib wore down four or five runners and then he and Patrick Ivuti were going back and forth. It was unfortunate their great battle to win kind of got lost due to the circumstances surrounding the heat and our stopping of the 2007 event but for those two to race so hard in tough conditions was amazing. |
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| GCR: | Who are some of your favorite champions and competitors in the Chicago Marathon and why? |
| CP | Khalid Khannouchi was a special runner with the four races he won and his setting a World Record. He is a wonderful person and having the opportunity to recruit him and have him set a marathon debut record and then a world mark made him synonymous with Chicago and being the best. Paula Radcliffe was magnificent and was a sweet, caring person. Catherine Ndereba was a great athlete and was kind and wonderful to work with. Moses Tanui was another great competitor and so was Evans Rutto who ran under 2:06 here. There are so many talented athletes who are also great people and part of the legacy of the Chicago Marathon. We think of them as our extended family. But back in 1991 and 1992 our event was struggling as we tried to take it to another level when Linda Somers, who later was a 1996 Olympic marathoner, showed up late, paid her entry, lined up and won the race. At a time where she could have taken a shot at us she was very complimentary of the water stations, spectators and the course and showed a lot of class. She came in and was supportive of the event, the city of Chicago and talked about how much fun she had. Out of all of the great champions we have had she is probably my favorite because at a time when we needed a pat on the back and some positive words she stepped up. And it was all unsolicited as I had never met her before the race – I met her when we put the first place medal around her neck. A few years later I was in South Carolina at the Olympic Trials Marathon when she made the U.S. team and I was so excited and happy for her. |
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| GCR: | The last Americans to win the Boston Marathon were Greg Meyer in 1982 and Deena Kastor in 2005. Is it important to stir increased interest among United States marathon fans to have American runners atop the podium? |
| CP | It is something that we have always recognized as important and we have recruited top Americans to race. We like to have an American presence and support the American effort with American development money. Brian Sell, 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner, got his Olympic Trials qualifying time here. Ryan Hall has sent a strong message that American runners can compete on a World stage and we support growth in that effort. |
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| GCR: | Marathon racing was traditionally reserved for competitors at the end of their running careers. Please comment on the trend toward younger racers competing in marathons at a top level. |
| CP | One thing that has changed at the top of marathon racing is that years ago runners switched to the marathon in their late twenties after their track careers were winding down. Now runners like Sammy Wanjiru, who is 22 and has a 10k PR of 26:41, are running the marathon at an earlier age in the peak of their athletic career. The thought process of how runners view the marathon has changed and part of that is due to the financial awards in racing marathons. Athletes who come to the marathon in their early twenties are more resilient and can handle a higher volume and intensity of training with faster recovery. Sub-2:06 is not uncommon anymore and I think more top runners will see 2:03 and a World Record as attainable. |
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| GCR: | In 2009 nine runners celebrated their 32nd straight year participating in the race as they have competed in and finished every Chicago Marathon. Do you do anything special at the Expo or with the media to recognize these few competitors for their streak? |
| CP | We have a Kickoff Press Conference where they were recognized for their continued success by Mayor Daley. They are invited back each year as VIP runners. What interests me the most is that they finished the marathon for 32 straight years and that time frame included family life, job responsibilities, graduations, weddings, soccer games and all of the things we navigate in life and they figured out and adjusted their schedules to be on the starting line. Then they made it to the finish each time despite weather, injuries or varied levels of fitness. |
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| GCR: | At the 2001 Road Race Management Race Directors Meeting you were named Race Director of the Year by a committee vote of race directors, media, sponsors and elite athletes. Other winners include Dave McGillivray of the Boston Marathon, deceased NYRRC President Fred Lebow and the Walt Disney World Marathon’s Jon Hughes. Describe how it feels to be included in this select group and honored for your hard work. |
| CP | To be involved in this industry has allowed me to make great friends. There is a sharing of knowledge among many, many race directors. I was fortunate to meet Fred Lebow and got to know him as an athlete when I competed in his events and then in a different way as a fellow race director. He was a marvelous man that I could call at any time and he was generous with his advice and time. To be included with these individuals is a great honor and to be thought of at that level is very special to me. |
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| GCR: | Marathon running continues to grow as a participatory activity in the United States. Total U.S. marathon finishers topped 300,000 for the first time in 2002, exceeded 400,000 in 2007 and topped 425,000 in 2008. What is the draw of the marathon and can this growth continue? |
| CP | More people are running which is a good thing especially with all of the studies on obesity, diabetes and the positive effects of exercise. The fascination, interest and intrigue with the marathon will continue to grow. From my perspective some things that have contributed to the growth are that people are aware of the activity and it is much more of a social activity. Also, it’s relatively accessible. In the past it was like in the book, ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner,’ with a sole person chugging along on the street. The fact that there are running groups, places to train and improved equipment have contributed to the success of the running industry. But there is something very basic about marathoning. From the time you commit to a marathon the onus is on you – you are at a point where you are in control of your destiny and it isn’t complicated. It’s intelligent work as you take a collective journey. It is an individual expressing which transcends things in people’s lives and they are attracted to that. Someone can be a champion of their own effort. It’s something that they can take with them for the rest of their days as it is impressive when someone says ‘I’m running the marathon’ or ‘I ran the marathon.’ I don’t’ think that fascination or ultimate expression will ever go away. If it was just running the marathon that would be the easy part, but it’s the journey of training and balancing other parts of your life while dealing with injuries and setbacks that gets you to the starting line and then the finish line that makes the sacrifice and commitment a fresh aspect of marathon running. |
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| GCR: | Despite the tremendous growth in total marathon finishers, less than 2% of marathoners broke three hours in 2007 and 2008. Discuss the change over the past 20 years from the marathon as a competitive racing challenge to predominantly a participatory event. Also, what is the significance of breaking three hours? |
| CP | People generally have gotten more conservative in the marathon. Twenty years ago after four hours and forty-five minutes of the Chicago Marathon we were scraping up banana peels and loading the trucks. Now its where the largest density of our finishers come in. Obviously there is a positive impact on the health of the population. But then there is the competitive aspect of it where guys my age in their early fifties who have had a lot of marathon success and were under three hours in the past are running, but slower now. They say that running the marathon was the easy part and that the training and injuries were the hard part. Most people aren’t training as hard as we did twenty years ago but they are cross training and working to be fit. Breaking three hours is a threshold and we see runners sprinting to break the three hour mark if they are close as there is something magical about it. But other runners have that same attraction to breaking four hours now. Each experience compliments the next one so runners tend to set round number goals which do make these specific times have meaning. |
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| GCR: | In recent years, the Chicago Marathon has also become one of the largest single day fundraisers in the city and the race’s charity program has raised more than $50 million since its formal inception in 2002. How important is it for this event to be a partner with the community |
| CP | It is an area that is very important and where we have a tremendous opportunity to grow. Connecting the marathon runners with the charities gives an emotional impact to the event. Out of our 45,000 entrants we had 8,300 who raised money for charities. For a runner who has been affected by a disease the race becomes more meaningful as they run as part of their own recovery or in memory or tribute to someone else. The challenges of the economy make it something even more needed. |
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| GCR: | How are the current struggles in the economy affecting Chicago Marathon race entries? What are you doing to minimize effects of a slow economy and are you being cautious with holding the line on entry fees while increasing the value to participants? |
| CP | Our entry fee will remain the same next year. We are fortunate that the interest in our event remains strong given the economic environment. That’s another reason that I feel we must deliver a really memorable race experience. The City of Chicago, including the hotels and restaurants, are sensitive to pricing as they work with us to attract people to our city. |
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| GCR: | LaSalle Bank was the Chicago Marathon title sponsor for 14 years before Bank of America purchased them. What changes have occurred under the Bank of America title sponsorship the past two years? |
| CP | We’re very fortunate with the transition as Bank of America sees the value of sports marketing. Part of Bank of America’s marketing message is their association with Major League Baseball and the National Football League. They bring a perspective and energy to the event that improves our effort while giving them another great platform for their marketing efforts. They are very committed to the Chicago Marathon, the city of Chicago and our race participants so it has been exciting and refreshing for me. |
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| GCR: | During Chicago’s bid process to host the 2016 Olympic Games you were involved in designing the marathon course which would duplicate much of the current route and finish at the proposed Olympic Stadium in Washington Park. Discuss the highs and lows of the bid process and its ending with the Games awarded to another city? |
| CP | It was fun and exciting leading up to the possibility of hosting the Olympics and I’m sure Chicago would have done a fabulous job if selected as Olympic host city. We worked with the bid committee to show how our world class marathon would just enhance the Olympic chances. By bringing in 2008 Olympic marathon champions Sammy Wanjiru and Constantina Tomescu-Dita we showed how the top competitors in the world felt about coming to Chicago. An international light was cast on Chicago and many other Olympic sports such as kayaking and archery became more main stream as the venues were discussed. It was disappointing in the end that it didn’t go our way. However, there is a legacy organization, World Sports Chicago, which will be involved in trying to attract international sporting competitions to the city. |
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| GCR: | You ran the 1983 Chicago Marathon and finished in a respectable 2:20:48. How did that race contribute to your being hired as Race Director and your respect for those who attempt the marathon distance? |
| CP | I trained for that race and four other marathons where I got myself relatively fit, but that’s the only one where I actually made the starting line. I was a guy who was my own worst enemy in training. For the Boston Marathon in the spring of 1984 I had an injury and so I got ready for New York City that fall and got injured again. I think my involvement as a race organizer was born out of my frustration as an athlete. It was nice that I had run the Chicago Marathon and had the perspective of running in many road races. My marathon training and racing did give me knowledge of the risk and reward that goes into it for all who attempt the distance. Since I was in college in Philadelphia I always took the train to New York City to watch the marathon and that left a lasting impression on me. I had organizational skills and a vision for the race which were the main reasons that contributed to my hiring. |
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| GCR: | What are some of the highlights of your post-collegiate career as a runner and any other experience that took you on the pathway toward being hired as Chicago Marathon Race Director? |
| CP | A couple of my Villanova teammates, Phil Kane and Kevin McCarey, were training with the Nike group in Eugene, Oregon. Kevin invited me out to train with them so I spent almost two years in Eugene as a full-time athlete. That’s where I started experiencing the road race circuit as I ran the Gasparilla 15k in Tampa, Florida and Cascade Runoff in Oregon and a half marathon. Kevin qualified for the Boston Marathon and there were many other great post-collegiate athletes so it was an excellent atmosphere. But as the years went by I struggled with several injuries which became frustrating. There were periods of time where I would get away from running and then put together some training and go race a 10k in 29:30 or so. But then another injury would crop up and I’d hurt for a month or two. And after this kept happening I think I got into a cycle of coming back too quickly from injuries and repeating the cycle. So then after moving back to my home area I was doing some coaching and staying involved in the sport as a spectator at cross country meets and the Chicago Marathon. A buddy of mine started up a 10k in Dalton, Illinois that I helped with, we had about 2,000 runners and I got bit by the bug to organize races. Then I worked on a couple other races and with Lee Flaherty, the founder of the Chicago Marathon. I helped out on the marathon and had some success, he offered me the job of race director and (laughing) the rest is history. |
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| GCR: | You were a very good collegiate runner at Villanova with personal bests of 13:48 for 5,000 meters and 29:12 for 10,000 meters. Additionally, you ran on a Penn Relay 4 x 1,500 meter winning squad which included Sydney Maree and an IC4A distance medley winning foursome with the legendary Indoor Mile World Record Holder Eamonn Coghlan. Your coach was the renowned Jumbo Elliott. How did your coach and being around many dedicated, top-notch runners help you develop as an athlete and person? |
| CP | Running for Villanova and Jumbo Elliott for four years was a great experience as we were IC4A and NCAA team champions at various times. To be coached by Jumbo Elliott was fantastic. I ran all of the distances and made All-American a couple times so it was a great career with wonderful teammates. The indoor schedule was very enriched by running big meets like the Olympic Invitational and Millrose Games. Jumbo’s philosophy wasn’t complicated. It was a specific routine where he tried to keep us healthy because one of the challenges was in having so many great athletes that we could get competitive in practice. The tradition of Villanova and of Coach Elliott was very impressive. When I ran there he was the only track coach Villanova had ever had as he ran there and coached the team while he was running. Then he just continued after graduating for many, many years. He had a marvelous personality and a great sense of humor and wanted to see his Villanova runners continue that tradition. He could get angry, but he liked to laugh and keep things on the light side. He expected things from his athletes but didn’t put on undue pressure. It was more like, ‘You’re here and you know what to do and lets see you do it.’ Jumbo’s philosophy was that life wasn’t just about athletics but that we should enjoy the school atmosphere, the friends we make and the people we meet because when you finish with school your life will change dramatically. |
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| GCR: | At Hammond (Indiana) High School Tim Keogh, Rudy Chapa and you all broke 9:00 minutes in the 2-mile in the same year which is a feat never duplicated on one high school team. You were individual State Champion twice in cross-country and the mile. Your coach, Dan Candiano, had your team running mileage normally reserved for marathon runners. Reflect back on your high school running days and what stands out as far as training, competition and how the discipline shaped you during your formative years. |
| CP | I had been a runner since I was about 14 or 15 as a sophomore in high school. Before that I grew up playing all the traditional sports of baseball, basketball and football. I was a pretty good basketball player. I started out in cross country as a sophomore and had some success. Then the next two years since I won the State in cross country and the mile I was recruited by Jumbo Elliott to go to Villanova. Coach Candiano was an accomplished athlete himself in high school and at DePaul University. When he coached us he was still a relatively young guy and was fit so he ran with us and trained with us. He brought an insight and fresh perspective to cross country and was a real ‘hands on guy’ who took some decent runners and gave us direction and guidance. He created quite a group of guys out of a nucleus of six or eight kids who wanted to work hard. We trained twice a day in the off season and then once the success started it snowballed. Dennis Cordell was two years older than me and ran a 9:06 2-mile and then Chapa, Keogh and I followed the blueprint for success. We saw Dennis working hard and being champion at big meets and we realized if we worked harder than other kids we had that same chance to succeed. Coach Candiano helped us understand that our training may not pay off immediately, but like ‘money in the bank’ would pay off in a year if we kept adding to it. There were periods when we did only distance when we may have hit 120 or 130 miles a week, but it was all easy. The key was that we did most of it in a park on soft surfaces on a trail that was maybe two and a quarter miles around so that kept us healthy. A lot of times we ran 45 or 50 miles in the morning without a specific distance – it was for time. Another thing we did was we ran varied pace maybe picking it up on one side of the park. We did a lot of changing speeds so it gave us the ability to be stronger. We didn’t run sessions like repeat 4:30 miles or 67 quarters but we just got competitive with each other. It wasn’t really a goal for the three of us to break nine minutes for two miles – it just happened. But people still talk about it after all these years which is the beauty of the track as times are always a barometer that can be compared. We wanted to race well at the State meet. In fact I only ran the two-mile twice my senior year at the duel meet where I broke 9:00 and at the International Prep Meet. I was more of an 880 and mile runner. There was a rule that we couldn’t ‘double’ so we couldn’t take advantage of Tim, Rudy and I running more than a single event. When I look back we probably could have won a couple State track championships if not for that rule. |
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| GCR: | You came close to breaking four minutes in the mile. Looking back do you think that its something you may wish you had concentrated on a bit more so you could have given yourself more of a chance to break this time threshold? |
| CP | I ran 4:01 once in Eugene, Oregon at the Oregon Twilight meet between my junior and senior year of college and a 4:00.8 another time. It wasn’t like I was obsessed with it. I was pretty pleased to run that fast and just like anything it takes luck to have health and weather and pace coming together. I probably had the ability to break four minutes but it never happened. |
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| GCR: | Running has been an integral and fulfilling part of your life for over 35 years as a competitor and race director. What does the future hold? |
| CP | As long as I can contribute and bring energy to help the Chicago Marathon be a bit better each year I am motivated to stay involved. The ultimate measure of success is the popularity of the event so as long as that continues I want to continue. I would like to run a marathon and get in shape to maybe run a 3:40 marathon and see what that perspective is like. I would also love to run the Boston Marathon and Berlin Marathon and others. I’ve observed the World Marathon Majors and seen many aspects of the events, but haven’t participated and that is something I’ve wanted to do. |
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| | Inside Stuff |
| Hobbies/Interests | I like to play golf and a few years ago got my handicap down to 13 which is pretty good. I love fishing and try to go to northern Wisconsin or Minnesota a couple times a year. I’m a big Chicago White Sox fan. I love to watch my kids play tee ball, soccer and basketball |
| Favorite movies | I have always enjoyed ‘The Godfather.’ It’s on television so much now that I find myself watching pieces of it. It’s such a classic work with classic actors. It’ll drive my wife crazy as she’ll come in and say, ‘How many times have you seen this?’ Then I’ll say, ‘But this is the part when…’ I also like Shane, The Graduate, Cool Hand Luke, Raging Bull and Annie Hall |
| Favorite TV shows | I don’t watch too much television but I find ’30 Rock’ to be refreshing and like the offbeat humor of ‘The Office.’ I tend to gravitate to unique humor. As a kid I liked ‘I Love Lucy,’ ‘Carol Burnett,’ ‘The Honeymooners’ and other classic comedy. I watch public television shows such as historic documentaries. With my kids I find myself watching ‘The Simpsons’ and enjoy the humorous subtleties that kids don’t catch |
| Favorite music | I’m kind of stuck in the seventies and like music such as the Allman Brothers and Motown. I also like some country and western such as Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride. My tastes are pretty diverse as sometimes I find myself listening to jazz |
| Favorite books | One of my favorites as a kid that I still have a copy of is Roger Bannister’s ‘Four-Minute Mile.’ Before I even had ideas about running I enjoyed reading about his journey toward running under a four minute mile. I had a chance to meet Roger Bannister a few years ago which was really cool. I like history books and read ‘1776’ recently on a flight. It was interesting to read about our country’s ‘Founding Fathers,’ and even though 230+ years have come and gone things are not different in many ways. I have always been a fan of biographies and reading about people’s lives and their spirit |
| First car | A 1972 Ford Pinto – it was white two-toned on the side |
| Current car | A Volkswagen Jetta – the official vehicle of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon |
| First job | Mowing lawns for some of my neighbors |
| Family, Children and Siblings | Wife, Sue; daughter, Sarah, age eight and son, Matthew, age six |
| Pets | My kids have two fish |
| Favorite breakfast | Life cereal with half a banana and half a cup of skim milk |
| Favorite meal | I’m an Italian food fan – spaghetti, salad, bread and a Goose Isle 312 beer. I’m getting in product placement well! (laughter) |
| Favorite beverages | Goose Isle 312 beer, Gatorade and Aquafina water – official beverages of the bank of America Chicago Marathon (even more laughter) |
| First running memory | I went out and ran two miles when I was 14 years old and I came home and was sitting on the steps of my parents’ front porch. I couldn’t stand up because my legs got so tight that I felt like I’d run a marathon. I just ran down to the school and back and was so sore from that initial run that it was something I never wanted to do again |
| Running heroes | Roger Bannister |
| Greatest running moment | The first time I won the Indiana State High School Cross Country Championship. It’s something that I dreamed about and then when it happened there was an exhilaration that went through my head as I thought, ‘Wow, I just won the State meet.’ That’s something I can remember pretty clearly. It was my junior year and was quite a memorable moment |
| Worst running moment | Two years ago at a Turkey Trot when my wife showed me her heels, gave me a sound beating and I was no longer the fastest runner in my household. That’s when I realized that I needed to get in shape. She is more of a tennis player but runs about 25 miles per week. During our relationship we had run about 30 road races and I was 30 and zero, but that all came crashing down around me. It wasn’t even close. She sent me a sound message and it was a good wake up call as I had let myself get out of shape and it motivated me to get more fit |
| Father-son running moment | I ran in a 5k Turkey Trot with my six year old a couple weeks ago. It was a cold, windy day. We started out walking and then ran a bit. There were donuts at one house and another had beer. These were unofficial aid stations. My son did have a donut and I had some unofficial adult beverages. It took fifty minutes to finish the 5k. We did run the final 600 yards pretty hard. My son said afterward to me, ‘Dad, maybe next year we’ll run the entire way.’ It was an activity that had a positive influence on my son. The fact that his sister was seven minutes ahead of him didn’t sit well with him. It didn’t either when she said, ‘Hey Matthew, I beat you!’ |
| Greatest race director moment | The first World record of 2:05:42 set by Khalid Khannouchi back in 1999. That really put a stamp on the Chicago Marathon as it was the fastest time in the world and first time anyone had run under 2:06. There was a great deal of energy and excitement. I had recruited him to run his first marathon in Chicago and so his career and the event grew together |
| Challenging race director moment | There have been some weather challenges with the extremes ranging from the snowstorm in 1993 to the heat in 2007. But for me possibly the most challenging was in 2001 when our event took place just a few weeks after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. We were in the final stages of planning for our event and it made us take a step back to reevaluate everything. It was a unique time for race organizers and participants. Initially, we had to ask whether or not we would have our event and what would the next day bring with the unknowns of the extent or possibilities of more attacks. It ended up being a very rewarding time as it was a celebration of the human spirit on race day |
| Childhood dreams | Like most kids growing up on the south or southeast side of Chicago I wanted to play baseball for the White Sox or maybe professional basketball or football. I came from a sports-minded family so playing right field for the White Sox was my biggest dream |
| Funny memories | One day in my early years of directing the Chicago Marathon we were driving the course at about 4:00 a.m. on race morning and realized the portable toilet truck had dropped off some toilets about 400 yards past a turnaround point on Lakeshore Drive so they would have no value to our participants. Some of my staff and I were pushing these toilets down the road when a Chicago Police officer stopped us and thought we were trying to steal them - though I don’t think they would have fit in the trunk of my car! We explained ourselves to his satisfaction and completed our task |
| Favorite places to travel | I enjoy visiting the cities of all the World Marathon Majors – London, Berlin, New York and Boston – particularly because we have such good friends there. I like visiting and observing their races as a marathon showcases a city in a very unique way |
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