Just past the halfway point of a marathon, sometimes all it takes is a catchy sign or an enthusiastic chant to boost runners’ spirits.
The West Loop had both on Sunday.
Long after the winners of the 2023 Chicago Marathon had crossed the finish line in Grant Park, thousands of runners with more modest goals made their way along Adams Street. They were greeted by spectators who’d brought picnic blankets to sit on, coffee to keep warm and dogs for company as they encouraged runners to keep going.
“We joke that we will never do it, but we will be here every year,” said Tiffany Gonzales, who watched the race with her golden retriever, Halsted, while holding her all-purpose sign: “Go random stranger!”
Tiffany Gonzales and her golden retriever, Halsted, cheer on runners at the Chicago Marathon in the West Loop Sunday.
Mary Norkol | Sun-Times
Yelling out personal cheers like “You got this, Morocco” to a runner with the Moroccan flag on her shirt, or “Hi Barbie!” to a runner dressed in pink, Kate Stack knows how much motivation is needed at the 14-mile mark.
“If they took the time to put their name on their shirt, I’m gonna yell it out,” said Stack, who lives in the West Loop. “If someone can give a little cheer and take your mind off any pain you might be starting to feel, then I’ll do it.”
While some spectators went with the traditional “You can do it” or “Go, go, go” signs, Stack and others got creative: “Run like Swifties to the NFL,” a reference to Taylor Swift’s rumored romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Meagan Huskisson, who lives across the street from that part of the route, had a similar idea for her sign: “Run! Do it for Travis and Taylor!”
Ivette Murphy-Aguilu ran the Chicago Marathon in 2012, but this year she’s watching her husband Tom Murphy run. Decked out in a Scooby Doo costume, she held a sign that said “You can Scooby-Dooby Doo it.”
Ivette Murphy-Aguilu, dressed as Scooby Doo, cheers on her husband Tom Murphy and other runners at the Chicago Marathon Sunday.
Mary Norkol | Sun-Times
“It just came to me in a moment,” she said of the phrase.
Murphy-Aguilu, an infectious disease doctor at Alexian Brothers, was watching the race with friends she met on a Facebook group for doctors who are moms and enjoy running. Some women from the group were running Sunday, she said.
“I’m having the time of my life — I’m going to lose my voice,” she said. “There’s nothing like it in the world. I see strangers walking by with tears on their face, I just wanna give them a hug.”