COURSE ENTERTAINMENT

BANK OF AMERICA CHEER ZONE - MILE 26: Join Bank of America at the oncourse cheer zone to support all race participants. Cheer items will be provided to help you support your runners, and we encourage you to grab Bank of America noisemakers to motivate runners in their journey to the finish. A DJ and drumline will be there to increase the excitement and celebrate all the runners. The Bank of America Cheer Zone is near the finish line at Michigan Avenue and 16th Street and continues onto Roosevelt.

BANK OF AMERICA SHAMROCK SHUFFLE CHEER ZONE – 8K: Cheer on runners as they shamROCK through the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Cheer Zone located in Lincoln Park at the 8K mark. The Shamrock Shuffle is the kickoff to the Chicago running season and is a continuation of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Visit shamrockshuffle.com for more information.

CHARITY BLOCK PARTY:Thousands of Bank of America Chicago Marathon participants are running and fundraising on behalf of important local, national and global causes. To celebrate the impact these participants make, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will host a Charity Block Party near Mile 15. Spectators, family and friends are welcome to cheer on their charity runners at the Charity Block Party located at Adams Street and Loomis Street near Whitney Young High School.

Connect to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and each other at bankofamerica.com/chicagomarathon or at #ChicagoMarathon.

YAM SPICE SUPERHERO MUFFINS

for easy-to-digest long-run fuel

Picking a favorite Superhero Muffin is like trying to pick a favorite book. We find comfort in so many different styles and combos of ingredients depending on our mood, cravings and training schedule. That’s why our 3rd cookbook, Rise & Run, includes 24 NEW Superhero Muffin recipes, both high-protein savory muffins and complex-carb sweet variations. If we had to pick just one recipe to eat on repeat before running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon it would be our Yam Spice Superhero Muffins. These muffins have become our go-to fuel before long runs and intense workouts. We’ve always honored sweet potatoes and oats as the best easy-to-digest complex carbs for endurance. The fresh ginger is a bonus to soothe digestion before cranking out the miles. Grating fresh ginger is worth the effort, but if you’re in a time crunch, replace it with 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Happy baking!

GLUTEN-FREE // VEGETARIAN

DAIRY-FREE: Substitute 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil for the butter

2 cups almond flour or almond meal 1½ cups rolled oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) 3 eggs 2 cups grated peeled sweet potato or yam (about 2) 1⁄3 cup maple syrup or honey 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and walnuts (if using).

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sweet potato, maple syrup, melted butter, and ginger. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake until the muffins are nicely browned on top and a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

5. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or microwave on low power for 30 seconds.

CREDIT LINE: Recipe from RISE & RUN. Copyright © 2021 by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. Photography copyright © 2021 by Erin Scott. Published by Rodale Books, and imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.