by RBR Admin
Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the start, photo by PhotoRun.net
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be 40 years old this year. It is the largest marathon in the Midwest U.S. This observer believes that, for a first timer, the Chicago Marathon is the perfect first time marathon. A fun city to run through, Chicago embraces the marathon for the week before and after, and the weather is normally pretty good for the midwestern fall climate.
Why is this release important? Big City marathons reach out to the local terrestrial TV stations for media support. The story of the marathon is as diverse as the 40,000 marathoners who run the streets of Chicago. Chicago uses top commentators, including the incomparable Toni Reavis, Ed Eyestone, Deena Kastor, among others.
WMAQ-TV/NBC 5 Chicago has been the official television broadcast partner of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon consecutively since 2008
CHICAGO – Today, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K, NBC 5 Chicago / WMAQ and Telemundo Chicago / WSNS announced they have entered a multi-year agreement continuing NBC 5 Chicago’s role as the exclusive television broadcast partner. This is the first year that Telemundo Chicago joins as a media partner of Chicago’s cornerstone running races.
For the past nine years, NBC 5 Chicago has featured pre-marathon programming, training tips, runner profiles and extensive live race day coverage of the Chicago Marathon on its platforms. In addition to televising the Chicago Marathon, NBC 5 will continue to provide live race coverage of the Shamrock Shuffle 8K on the NBC Chicago app and across all station platforms.
“NBC 5 Chicago has been the flagship home of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K, ensuring that runners and fans in the city and beyond have access to live and compelling race day coverage,” said Bank of America Chicago Marathon and Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “The team at NBC 5 not only provides expert race day coverage and talent, but also captures the spirit of running featuring human interest stories from our participants that make all of us want to go the extra mile and do something extraordinary.”
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is one of just six Abbott World Marathon Majors and is broadcast live annually on the first Sunday in October from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Race day coverage will feature play-by-play action of the elite race from professional analysts as well as course updates and inspiring stories delivered by NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago anchors and reporters who will report from various neighborhoods along the course.
“We are thrilled for NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago to be the broadcast home of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for the coming seasons. We are honored to serve our viewers by broadcasting this world-class race through 29 distinctive Chicago neighborhoods,” added David Doebler, President and General Manager, NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago.
The stations’ race day on-air coverage will also be simulcast on NBCChicago.com, TelemundoChicago.com, the NBC Chicago app, and the Telemundo Chicago app. In addition, the stations’ digital platforms will feature a live streaming finish line camera from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Moreover, for the first time ever, Telemundo Chicago viewers will receive training tips in Spanish leading up to marathon race day along with multiple live cut-ins highlighting the action on the course.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 40th year, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes thousands of runners from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a world-class elite field, top regional and Masters runners, race veterans, debut marathoners and charity runners. The race’s iconic course takes runners through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and cultural tour of Chicago. Annually, an estimated 1.7 million spectators line the streets cheering on more than 40,000 runners from the start line to the final stretch down Columbus Drive. As a result of the race’s national and international draw, the Chicago Marathon assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes while generating $277 million in annual economic impact to its host city. The 2017 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 8. In advance of the race, a two-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com.
Visit the Bank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news.
About NBC 5 Chicago
NBC 5 Chicago / WMAQ is NBCUniversal’s local owned television station serving Chicago and Northwest Indiana area viewers for nearly 70 years. Throughout its rich history, NBC 5 has pioneered various television “firsts” including being the first television station in the world to air programming in all-color. NBC 5 was also the first Chicago commercial television station to broadcast in stereo and the first Chicago station to present closed captioning of all local newscasts. Currently, NBC 5 airs more than 40 hours of local news each week in HD on its core channel. Viewers can also receive the latest local news, weather and information on NBCChicago.com, via the NBC 5 Chicago app and the station’s social media channels.
About Telemundo Chicago
Telemund
o Chicago / WSNS is Telemundo’s local television station serving the Spanish-speaking community throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Owned by NBCUniversal, Telemundo Chicago produces two daily award-winning newscasts every weekday, featuring local news, weather, sports and entertainment and sports updates. Additionally, the station broadcasts a weekly local entertainment show, Acceso Total, and a monthly public affairs show, Enfoque. Telemundo Chicago also delivers its viewers the most up-to-date headlines across a variety of digital platforms, including a dedicated local website, TelemundoChicago.com and mobile and social media channels.
