Last Oct. 11, I finished my 11th 42K race: the Chicago Marathon. Over 55,000 runners joined the 26.2-mile event that passed through 29 neighborhoods in America’s third-largest city.
It was my first time in the Windy City. My wife Jasmin and I arrived on Wednesday, and we got to tour a few important sites: The Bean, Mag Mile, the Riverwalk, and we took a 6 p.m. night cruise along the river, giving us a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline.
On Thursday, we went to McCormick Place to get my race kit and visit the Expo. It’s massive. Race-kit pickup was fast, and we got to see Atty. Cheska Geli, my former co-writer from SunStar, who has since moved to Samar.
The food in Chicago is amazing. We had the famous deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s with the Girado family, Jasmin’s relatives. We tried the hot dog at Portillo’s and the beef sandwich at Al’s.
On Friday, we had a meet-up with the Pinoy marathoners joining the Chicago Marathon. It was held at the Rizal Center, and over 75 runners joined the carbo-loading party.
Pie Abella, running her 17th marathon, arrived earlier that day from L.A. and joined the group.
It was at this party that I met JC Santa Teresa. This guy is amazing. He’s a Guinness World Record holder for running an ultramarathon of 50K+ for 21 consecutive days. And he has completed over 500 marathons!
On Saturday at 5:15 p.m., we heard mass at the Holy Name Cathedral, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary. The mass was full, with many marathoners in attendance. Fr. John Boivin asked all of us to go to the altar, where he blessed us. He also gave us a wristband with the initials M.A.R.A.T.H.O.N., which stands for May All Runners Always Tell Him Our Needs.
Our post-mass, carbo-loading dinner was with sisters Hannah and Nina Lim (and Nina’s husband Mike) and Tita Alice Lim.
Race day: Oct. 11, 2026. I woke up at 5 a.m. and left the hotel by 6:30. Before 7 a.m., I was at Grant Park as the sun rose.
I was in the last corral (N). While the elite runners started at 7:30 a.m., our group started at 9:06 a.m. Yes, that’s how long it takes for 55,000 runners to cross the starting line.
I joined the 5:45 pace group led by JC Santa Teresa, which had 50+ runners. I ran with Willie de Guzman (85 marathons and counting for Willie) for the first half of the race. Our strategy was a first for me: two minutes of running followed by one minute of walking. We would stop at every major marker — the 10-mile mark, the halfway point, and the 20-mile mark.
The Chicago crowd was incredible. Bands, signs, and cheering fans filled the streets. The entire route, from start to finish, was lined with spectators, with an estimated 1.7 million spectators cheering us on.
Along the route and at the finish, I saw Jasmin and our relatives Tito Pepe, Tita Terry, Kassie, and Shannel.
The finish was a painful yet incredible experience. If there’s one event I would recommend above all others, it’s the Chicago Marathon.