Officials with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon released data this week showing a record 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 a lot to live up to after last year’s race generated $547 million in economic impact for the city of Chicago, according to officials.
“With over half a billion dollar footprint, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon proved to be one of the biggest 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 Chicago calendar, and no event better exemplifies our city’s stewardship 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 the data.
Almost 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 associated with the race, providing nearly $183 million in wages and salaries to employees.
Carey Pinkowski, the executive race director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, said race organizers are “humbled” by the continued growth of the event.
“Whether it’s the financial or charitable impact, or the prestige of the event itself, we continue to be humbled by the growth of the marathon. We’ve come a long way and we owe so much to the over 10,000 passionate volunteers and countless community members who make the race weekend possible,” Pinkowski said.
This year’s marathon will be broadcast live on NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago beginning at 7 a.m. and running until 11 a.m. Live streams will also be available on both stations’ websites and mobile apps, as well as on NBC Chicago’s 24/7 streaming channel.
The live finish line camera will be available until 3pm on both apps and websites.
The live stream can be accessed via Peacock’s website 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.