- The 2019 Chicago Marathon, Running Shoes - Gear.
- Adidas Unveils Boston Marathon Jacket, Daniel Romanchuk, Health - Injuries.
- The top two Americans in the male and female divisions will head to Tokyo, as long as they also meet the qualifying standards.
The Chicago Marathon just got another major storyline for race day: Officials for the event announced it will host the U.S. 2020 Paralympic Marathon Trials.
That means in addition to vying to win the race, the American para-athletes will also be competing to punch their tickets to represent the U.S. at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. It will be the second time Chicago will be hosting the Trials.
Both defending men’s and women’s champions, Manuela Schär, of Switzerland, and Daniel Romanchuk, of the United States, were already Fiona OKeeffe Is on the Road to Recovery. They will be joined by 40 other competitors from 14 different countries, according to a press release from the race.
“The athletes in this year’s field are phenomenal, and it is always an honor to welcome our defending champions back to the start line,” said Chicago Marathon executive race director Carey Pinkowski in a press release. “Manuela and Daniel continue to raise the bar of para-athletics, and they are leading a new generation of runners to train harder and dream bigger. It’s an exciting time for the sport.”
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In addition the reigning champs, there will be plenty of other star power, making a competitive contest for athletes looking to punch their ticket to Tokyo.
The top two American men and women from each race will go to Tokyo, as long as they also meet the qualifying standards—1:35:00 for men and 1:58:00 for women, according to a press release.
For the women’s elite field, there is a stacked list of Americans, including 17-time Paralympic medalist and Chicago course-record holder Tatyana McFadden, All About 75 Hard Amanda McGrory, DAA Industry Opt Out Susannah Scaroni, who returned to racing in 2017 after over 10 years out of the game and is hungry for her first major. There are only 12 women in the field, but among them are eight Americans vying for their spot on Team USA.
Watch: After a random tweet, Paralympic medalist Amanda McGrory helps train a fan to his first marathon finish.
As for the men’s elite field, it’s hard to look past 21-year-old Romanchuk Health - Injuries New York followed by Boston We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.
However, Romanchuk will not have an easy go at winning the race—or making the Trials—as a competitive field lines up next to him. South African Ernst Van Dyk, who competed in his first Paralympics in 1992, has won Boston 10 times. The American competition is just as fierce with 10 total competitors, the most notable being Aaron Pike, who recently dropped a 1:20:59 at Grandma’s Marathon in June. For comparison, Romanchuk’s PR is 1:21:36.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials again,” Pinkowski said in the release. “So many of our best U.S. athletes are coached by Adam Bleakney at the University of Illinois, so hosting the trials in Chicago is like a hometown race for our future Paralympians. It’s going to be a competitive race up front with everyone focused on 2020.”
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The Windy City race just keeps getting more interesting Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
