Team Fox

Watching the Chicago Marathon

A little over a year ago, Ben was selected to run the Chicago Marathon with Team Fox, part of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, to raise money for Parkinson’s research. He received lots of generous donations and ended up raising over $5,000. At a time when federal funding for research is under fire, the work done by foundations keeps us moving toward a cure.

Last weekend was the marathon. Since watching a marathon is slightly less onerous than running a marathon, I wrote this post in real time.

Friday Afternoon

Matt got home from classes a little before 4 pm. Our dog, Annie, already knew something was up because Mike and I had brought out those “boxes on wheels,” which usually means we are going to disappear for a while. But Matt promised to teach her some linear programming while we are gone, and we headed for Chicago. We’re staying out in Schaumburg and will take a train into the city for the marathon on Sunday morning.

When we checked into the hotel, the front desk person asked what we were here for. I know that Marriott has a “business” or “pleasure” option on their reservation, which I never check. For me, business can be pleasure, or pleasure can turn into business. But instead of giving him the simple answer he wanted, I said, “We’re here for the Chicago Marathon.” Bless his heart, he didn’t even blink an eye when he glanced up at Mike and me. He let me volunteer that we’ve come to watch our son.

Saturday

We met Ben, Katie, and her family for lunch before Ben and Katie took the train into the city. The Michael J Fox Foundation had a block of rooms near the starting line and reserved Roosevelt University’s gym, where runners could get ready and store their belongings.

How does one prepare for a marathon, you may wonder, especially if you haven’t taken this journey yourself. Ben started training several months ago and ran 750 miles. Katie bought him Chicago Marathon-themed shoes, and he has a Team Fox jersey. He has a playlist full of bangers, although he told the undergraduate students he teaches that he just listens to “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield on repeat.

“And I saved a photo of my passport on my phone,” he said between bites of his second day-before-race-day meal.

This prep step is unique to 2025. Currently, National Guard troops and ICE agents are in Chicago, adding an additional challenge to the marathon. About 40% of Chicago marathon runners come from other countries. The message boards have been filled with messages from these runners wondering if they should come to the US at all. Runners cannot carry papers with them, so storing documents on the phone will have to do.

Sunday

4:45 am: The alarm goes off. Showered and dressed, we catch the train to the city. It gradually fills up with people headed to watch the marathon - fat heads and signs fill the seats.

“Who are you going to watch?” a woman asks.

“My son,” I say. “He’s running for Parkinson’s research.”

“My nephew is running,” she replied. “It’s his first.”

Although marathons can be hard to watch, snaking across cities as they do, many runners had support teams there to cheer them on. Chicagoans join in the festive atmosphere too. Over 1.5 million people watched the Chicago marathon, cheering for their runners and all runners.

7:30 am: The first wave of runners starts the race. Mike and I have stationed ourselves around mile 2. The elites pass by quickly, buoyed by the cheers from the crowd. Or maybe they don’t hear us at all. These are the athletes who are chasing world records. They run 26.2 miles at a pace nearing 4:40/mile.

After this group, the concentration of runners increases. They are practically shoulder to shoulder. I try to watch for Team Fox jerseys, but soon get dizzy from focusing on the stream of runners. The spectators are also packed shoulder to shoulder, so when I lose my balance, I don’t go far.

8:00 am: Ben’s start time. Mike and I begin to monitor his location using his phone and the Chicago marathon app. Amidst the tall buildings in downtown Chicago, cell signals aren’t always consistent, but when we think he’s about to pass by, I start watching the runners again. We yell his name as he runs by and, in true Ben fashion, he gives us a confident wave.

“He looks good,” I say to Mike, with a mix of worry and hope. This is why I am not an ideal marathon spectator. Ben has trained for this. This is his fourth marathon. The weather is good, cooler than it has been for most of Ben’s training. But I cannot wrap my head around running 26.2 miles, and I obsessively watch his location to make sure he’s still moving.

9:30 am: Katie takes the red line up to Wrigleyville and sends back photographic evidence that he is still on the move. Mike and I meet up with Katie’s parents, Jen and John, at mile 13.1. This is where the largest group of spectators congregate. There are cheer zones sponsored by businesses and community groups. Still, we maneuver into a space near the front. Ben has texted to ask what side we are on (while running a marathon!), and he runs by right in front of us, giving us another wave.

The marathon app shows Ben’s time. He’s on pace for a PR. I flip to the coverage of the marathon online. Jacob Kiplimo is on pace for a world record. The record of 2:00:35 was set by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago marathon. American Connor Mantz also looks certain to break the U.S. record.

10:30 am: Mike, Jen, John, and I reconnect with Katie and start walking southeast. The second half of the marathon takes Ben to the west and then the south. The Chicago marathon passes through 29 neighborhoods. The finish line is in Grant Park, but spectators cannot access that area. Ben told us to meet him in the gym at Roosevelt University, but I’m still considering walking a bit further south to try to see him near the end of the route.

But as the temperatures and my step count creep up, my energy starts to flag. Even on quiet streets away from the race route, I have trouble focusing, and my gait is starting to become uneven. I knew this was likely to happen. I’d done better than I thought I might.

Still, I know that the last few miles of a marathon are the hardest. Mile 22 is notoriously the spot at which many runners hit a wall. I know that training and discipline are key to success for a marathon, but I’m convinced there has to be something else as well - a blend of faith and stubbornness that becomes especially important in those final miles. I know that there is nothing that I can do from the sidelines to help Ben push through the wall, but I want to be there to witness it, to cheer him on.

In the end, I can’t keep going. I am stubborn too, but I have reached my limit. Mike reminds me that Ben told us that he’d meet us at the gym after he finished. We head that way while Katie, Jen, and John wait near the finish line.

What I didn’t know at the time was that there were plenty of people to cheer Ben on in those final few miles. He told us later that the atmosphere was amazing all along route, but especially in the Hispanic neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Spectators had set up their own aid stations with water and bananas. They were waving flags and playing music. Many runners wore clothes that represented their home countries, and shouts of Viva Mexico were common. Despite the chaos that continues to plague this neighborhood, they provided a wave of optimism that surrounded the runners in the final stretch.

11:30 am: Mike and I are in the gym at Roosevelt University. This is the headquarters for the marathoners that are running for several charities, including the Michael J Fox Foundation. I sit down, drink some water, and recover. Every time a marathon runner comes through the door, everyone cheers. Some of the runners bask in the applause. Others move quickly to their people.

Many of the marathoners can barely walk. Not all runners come across the finish line looking good. In fact, most don’t. They have salt crusted on their skin. Their legs are wobbly. I imagine that a marathon is not easy for anyone. Jacob Kiplimo did not break the world record, but he nearly ran a negative split, finishing the first half in 1:01 and the second half in 1:01:23. Conner Mantz broke the U.S. record by almost a minute, finishing in 2:06:04. Other runners completed their first marathon, or PRed, or left it all on the course. They have done a hard thing. And now they need to recover.

Mike and I see that Ben has crossed the finish line. His time is 4 minutes faster than his last marathon, a PR. In a few minutes, he walks into the gym and I jump up to give him a hug, careful not to knock him over.

I have an amazing support network. Since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s almost 5 years ago, so many people have supported me, each in their own way. Last weekend, Ben showed his support in the most Ben way possible, waving from the middle of the 50,000+ racers, running 26.2 miles, helping Team Fox raise over $400,000 for Parkinson’s research. Chicago showed up too, witnessing the strength of the runners while showing a strength of its own, ready to face whatever comes next.