10 minute read
SPECTATE LIKE A BOSS
BY CINDY KUZMA
When Emma Bates crossed the finished line of the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in second place—running a personal best of 2:24:20 on a sweltering day and earning her first podium spot at an Abbott World Marathon Major—American distance running fans celebrated.
Behind the scenes, helping power her breakthrough performance, was another stellar effort. Her coach Joe Bosshard and teammates Emma Coburn, Dominique Scott and Aisha Praught-Leer executed a medalworthy spectating plan. While Bates covered 26.2 miles on foot, they pedaled more than 13 miles around the course on electric Divvy bikes.
Members of the aptly-named Team Boss spotted Bates in at least eight different locations, even as she picked up the pace. Bates credits their presence with carrying her forward: “The excitement on their faces—it was just so special,” Bates says. Even when she was tired, their cheers reminded her of the fun they’d had training, and the friendship they shared beyond the miles. “It’s a really good feeling to have a support system like them.”
As Bates knows, Chicago’s course has major advantages for runners—it’s flat, fast, and scenic, offering an incomparable tour of 29 neighborhoods. But her teammates’ feat demonstrates another truth: it’s a great race for spectators, too. A looped course, access to public transit and bike- and scooter-sharing services and a grid system that’s easy to navigate all mean even non-locals like Boulderbased Team Boss can easily see their runner at more than one spot along the course.
While their ambitious plan shows what’s possible, you don’t have to bike double-digit mileage to provide a major boost to your runner in this year’s race. Here’s what you can learn from their example as you make plans for your own race-day adventures.
GATHER YOUR CREW
In 2019, Coburn and Bosshard had rented regular Divvy bikes and pedaled around to cheer on another elite runner, Laura Thweatt. So, they already had an idea of what was possible.
Before last year’s race, they texted with Scott and Praught-Leer the night before about their plan. It helps that all three athletes are Olympians who are used to precision and perfection—Coburn has won ten national titles and an Olympic bronze medal in the steeplechase, Scott competes in distance races for South Africa and Praught-Leer runs for Jamaica. Bosshard coaches them all, mindful of details like paces and splits.
“Our team, more than the other people I know, are very high achievers with logistics coordination,” Coburn says. “It’s just how our brains work. We said: ‘Of course, we’re going to maximize our efficiency.’” They also
coordinated meet-ups with other friends and teammates, including Olympian Kate Grace and Dani Jones, at various points along the course. 35th (mile 23), with plenty of other good viewing points in between. The Pink, Blue,
Green and Orange lines can take you out toward the west side of the looped course and back east again. • Scooters, which are managed by four companies in Chicago: Lyft, Lime, Spin and Superpedestrian. Prices, service areas and rules vary by company, so check online ahead of time for details. Driving, cabs and ride-sharing are also options. However, parking isn’t always easy—and road closures for the race make navigating downtown by car difficult.
CHOOSE YOUR APPROACH
There’s no shame in staking out one spot to spectate and sticking to it. A single cheer zone works well for big groups, those that include kids or people with limited mobility, and spectators cheering on more than one runner at different paces. By staying put, you can easily make yourself seen and heard with signs, flags, balloons and noisemakers.
But if you’re a smaller group up for adventure, consider other options. All runners, from elites like Bates to first-time marathoners, will appreciate multiple sightings of their supporters. And by traveling a bit, you can also get a feel for some of the same city neighborhoods runners go through—Pilsen’s mariachi bands and Chinatown’s dragons to the south, the costumes and dancing of Northalsted to the north, the whiff of garlic in Little Italy to the west.
Your best choices for getting around include: • Divvy bikes, which offer both peoplepowered classic bikes and electric models like the ones Coburn and her crew rode.
You can buy a day pass for $15 for classic bikes. Prices for e-bikes, meanwhile, start at $1 to unlock plus $0.39/minute. • Chicago Transit Authority, and specifically, the “L” train. The Harrison station, on the
Red Line, is closest to the starting line.
From there, you can head as far north as Addison (mile 8.5) and south to Sox-
DOWNLOAD THE APP(S)
The most important addition to your phone or other digital device is the Bank of America Chicago Marathon app. There, you’ll find a complete course map, as well as real-time race day tracking.
Search for your runner by name or bib number, and star them for easy access later. You can toggle between a rundown of their splits and an up-to-the-minute map, which shows you exactly where they are on the course.
Depending on your mode of transit, other helpful apps include: • Ventra, to pay for the train or bus with your phone, and also access transit maps and trackers • Divvy, for bike availability, stations, and payments • SpotHero, if you’re driving, for booking parking spots in advance • Scooter apps Lyft, Lime, Spin, and
Superpedestrian (continued on page 57)
- Emma Bates
CTA “L” STATIONS AND NEARBY COURSE LOCATIONS
GRAND RED LINE STATION
Miles 1, 3 and 12.5
Board a Red Line train and exit at Grand Avenue (mile 1). Walk three blocks west to LaSalle Street (mile 3) and four blocks west to Wells Street (mile 12.5).
JACKSON RED OR BLUE LINE STATION
Mile 2
Board a Red or Blue Line train and exit at Jackson Street.
CHICAGO RED LINE STATION
Miles 3.5 and 12.25
Board a Red Line train and exit at Chicago Avenue. Walk three blocks west to LaSalle Street (mile 3.5) and four blocks west to Wells Street (mile 12.25).
CLARK/DIVISION RED LINE STATION
Miles 4 and 12
Board a Red Line train and exit at LaSalle Street (mile 4). Walk one block west to Wells Street (mile 12).
SHERIDAN RED LINE STATION
Mile 8
Board a Red Line train and exit at Sheridan. Walk four blocks east to Broadway.
ADDISON RED LINE STATION
Mile 8.5
Board a Red Line train and exit at Addison Street. Walk four blocks east to Broadway. SEDGWICK BROWN LINE STATION
Mile 11
Board a Brown Line train and exit at Sedgwick Street. Walk a half-block north to North Avenue.
WASHINGTON/WELLS BROWN, PINK OR ORANGE LINE STATION
Mile 13.5
Board any Brown, Pink or Orange Line train and exit at Washington/ Wells. Walk two blocks west on Washington to Wacker Drive.
UIC-HALSTED BLUE LINE STATION
Miles 14 and 17
Board a Blue Line train and exit at UIC-Halsted. Use the Halsted Street exit or Morgan Street exit and walk two blocks north to Adams Street to view the runners around Mile 14 in Greektown. Or use the Halsted Street or Morgan Street exit and walk one block north to Jackson to view runners around Mile 17.
18TH PINK LINE STATION
Mile 19.25
Board a Pink Line train and exit at 18th Street. Walk four blocks east to Loomis Street.
CERMAK-CHINATOWN RED LINE STATION
Mile 21.5
Board a Red Line train and exit at Cermak-Chinatown. SOX-35TH RED LINE STATION
Miles 23, 23.25 and 23.5
Board a Red Line train and exit at Sox-35th. Use the 33rd Street exit and walk four blocks to Michigan Avenue (mile 23) or walk five blocks east to Indiana (mile 23.5). Exit at 35th Street and walk four blocks east on 35th Street to Michigan Avenue to view runners around Mile 23.25 as they run on 35th Street from Michigan to Indiana.
35TH-BRONZEVILLE-IIT GREEN LINE STATION
Miles 23, 23.25 and 23.5
Board a Green Line train and exit at 35th-Bronzeville-IIT. Use the 33rd Street exit and walk one block east to Michigan Avenue (mile 23) or two blocks east to Indiana (mile 23.5). Exit at 35th Street and walk one block east to Michigan Avenue to view runners around Mile 23.25 as they run on 35th Street from Michigan to Indiana.
CERMAK-MCCORMICK PLACE GREEN LINE STATION
Mile 25
Board a Green Line train and exit at Cermak-McCormick Place. Walk two blocks east to Michigan Avenue.
ROOSEVELT (RED, GREEN AND ORANGE LINE) STATION
Finish Line
Board a Red, Green or Orange Line train and exit at Roosevelt Road. Walk east on Roosevelt Road toward the Museum Campus/Grant Park.
KNOW YOUR RUNNER, AND MAKE A PLAN
Team Boss had seen Bates training for months, and knew ahead of time what pace she planned to run. To get the same intel, talk to your marathoner about their estimated finishing time or goal pace. From there, you can do a little math to estimate when they’ll hit each mile marker.
Use that to decide how many places you’ll aim to hit and how much time you’ll have to get there. For best results, map out at least a rough sketch of your route beforehand. That helps your runner, too: Tell them where you plan to be, including which side of the street, so they can veer to that side and look for you.
On race day, use the Bank of America Chicago Marathon app to guide you as you go. Stay flexible—if your runner is moving faster than planned, as Bates was in the second half of the race, you’ll know you have to move more quickly or even skip a planned spot and catch back up to them at the next one.
And if you’re not going to be with them before the race, ask for a photo of what your runner is wearing so you can easily pick them out of the crowd of fast-moving bodies. Bates’ bright-blue top and long ponytail were easy for Team Boss to identify as she approached. They yelled her name to get her attention, as well as words of encouragement: “Let’s go Emma!” “You’re amazing!” “You’re in third place, you can move into second!”
REUNITE AND CELEBRATE
Once your runner crosses the line, it may take them a while to navigate through the finishing chute to get their medal and refreshments. Spectators can’t access the start and finish line area in Grant Park, so for best results, designate another reconnection spot in advance.
The easiest is Runner Reunite, in Grant Park, with letters to correspond to runners’ last names. From there, it’s a short hobble to the 27th Mile Post-Race Party, where you can toast to your newly-minted marathoner’s accomplishment.
As an elite runner, Bates had to proceed to the Chicago Hilton after the race. In the lobby, her teammates surrounded her in an epic group hug, complete with an orangejuice toast (they had mimosas; she saved the champagne for after her press conference and other official duties). After all that and a quick shower, the group headed off to an evening of festivities.
According to Bates, her epic day was made possible—and even more meaningful— because of those she shared it with. “You just need cheerleaders sometimes, and they did that, and more,” she says.
Runners tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves; your Chicago marathoner is probably no exception. But your support and encouragement reminds them they’re amazing no matter their place and finishing time—and, you’ll create special memories all of you will share, well beyond the finish line.
Making an impact, one step at a time
Deloitte is proud to support the thousands of inspirational runners who choose to run the marathon on behalf of a charity. With every step they take, they are taking strides to improve the lives of others, and their communities.
www.deloitte.com
