Chicago, IL

In what many are calling a test to see how Chicago can handle an international event in their pursuit for an Olympic bid, Chicago will be hosting the AIBA World Boxing Championship starting next week.

The event, which runs from October 23rd through November 3rd, will take place at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) pavilion. The championship is a qualifier for the the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

An astounding 700 boxers from 120 countries are expected to compete in the eleven day event, including such notable athletes as Rau’shee Warren, Gary Russell, Jr., gold medalists Manus Boomjumnong of Thailand and Alexey Tishchenko of Russia.

In preparation for the event, the city will be hosting an Opening Ceremony Athlete Procession on Monday, October 22nd, beginning at the Palmer House Hilton, traveling north on State Street and ending at the Chicago Theatre. The event kicks off at 4:00 p.m. and is expected to last an hour.

While I am sure that Mayor Daley will be quick to praise the city if the event goes off well, I am not sure if I believe that it will really be a “test-run” to see if Chicago can handle the Olympics. This is only one sport and only one venue. Additionally, although there are a lot of boxing fans, I cannot imagine that the city is going to be invaded by hordes of tourists to see the event the way it would with the Olympic games. Even the amount of media for an event like this is going to be on a small-scale compared to the Olympics.

If you want to check out the event, tickets appear to rather affordable, starting at $10 for the early rounds and as cheap as $25 for the finals. For more information, visit the official site here.

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Race officials ended the Chicago Marathon early today after the extremely high temperatures led to a water shortage and many ill runners. The temperature reached a record high of 88 degrees. One runner died after collapsing near mile 19.

Chad Schieber, of Midland, Mich., collapsed during the race near 1500 S. Ashland Ave., according to a spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Schieber was taken to West Side Veteran’s Administration Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:50 p.m., the spokesman said.

Additionally, more than 300 people were hospitalized with heat related illness. All along the course, the medical tents were filled with runners sitting or laying down, completely spent as a result of the heat.

I can tell you from personal experience that the water shortage started very early for the middle-to-back of the packers. Thankfully the people of Chicago were wonderful and were bringing water out of their homes and business to help out the thirsty runners.

It is unfortunate that the race officials did not plan accordingly after the temperatures were forecast to be in high 80s since at least a week ago. For a race of this caliber to actually run out of water and gatorade is unacceptable.

It was the first time in the 30 year history that the race ended early.

source

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Registration is now available for the 2007 Race for the Cure in Chicago. The event, which will take place on Saturday September 29th, benefits the Susan G Komen foundation which funds breast cancer research. There is a 5k run/walk and a one mile fun walk.

Participants are encouraged to raise pledge money for the cause and there are rewards for various levels of money raised. Breast cancer survivors will receive a complimentary pink hat and T-shirt to wear during the event.

The event kicks off at Grant Park at 8:30 a.m. For more information and to register on line, visit the official website here.

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This weekend, the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village will be host to a professional-level cycling competition called the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove. There will be time trials for the big event on Saturday morning and races Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Illinois native Christian Vandevelde will be among the contestants. Vandevele formerly raced on the same team as Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France and finished 24th in the Tour de France in 2006.

In addition to the professional cycling events, there will be several other categories of races, as well as a a 100 meter big-wheel race for the kids.

For more information on the Tour of Elk Grove, including the full schedule and directions, click here. The event is free.

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WGN is hosting a back to school event this Friday, August 3rd from 6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. The event will take place at WGN-TV Studios, 2501 W. Bradley Place in Chicago. It is a free fair and will be covered on the WGN Morning News, so you and your children have a chance to get on television.

There is a long list of a events and specials guests for the fair, too many to list here. Here is a small sampling of what you can expect to see:

For the entire list of scheduled events visit the WGN website.

This year’s Chicago Marathon, which will take place on Sunday October 7th, will mark the 30th anniversary of the event. For spectators, 83 days away probably sounds a bit early to be talking about an event. For those participating, like myself, it seems pretty close. So, to help my fellow runners, I want to share this video that I found on the Chicago Marathon website.

It was taken from a car who drove the entire length of the course prior to the start of last year’s event. It really gives you a great look at everything you will be passing throughout the 26.2 mile event and gives you a good representation of just how low you will be running. Although the video is of last year’s course, the course does not change all that much from year to year, so it should be pretty close. The 2007 official course map is not yet available. To check out this great video, click here.

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The annual L.A.T.E. Ride, hosted by Friends of the Park will take place this Saturday night/Sunday morning. The cycling event runs overnight and allows cyclists to enjoy the streets of Chicago in cooler weather, with less traffic. The events, which is for all ages, kicks off at midnight with a some pre-event activities, with the first wave of cyclists departing Buckingham fountain around 1:30 a.m. This is from the L.A.T.E. Ride site:

Enjoy a 25-mile ride through Chicago’s neighborhoods and along the lakefront. Cycle past skyscrapers, hear “Opaah!” in Greek Town, cruise through the North Side, wave to onlookers, and watch the sun rise over Lake Michigan. Plus, enjoy tons of snacks at the rest stop and breakfast back at Buckingham Fountain.

Last year’s event included over 9,000 participants. If you want to sign-up or for more information, visit the L.A.T.E. Ride site here.

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Due to the temporary closure of the trails at Busse Woods, you may be looking for an alternate place to run or cycle. This past Saturday, I tried out a stretch of the Illinois Prairie Path which is located about a twenty minute drive southwest of Busse Woods. The Prairie Path extends from Maywood out to the western suburb of Wheaton, before branching out to Elgin and Aurora. I only ran from Elmhurst to around Villa Park before I headed back.

The path is primarily crushed limestone, although there are some stretches that are paved. There are some drinking fountains along the path, although I advise you to bring water because they are not as plentiful as other places, such as the lakefront path.

My main problem was that because the path extends through several suburbs, the path often crosses a street. As a result, runners and cyclists have to stop and wait for the traffic before crossing. This can be annoying if you are trying to keep a set pace or keep the heart rate elevated. The traffic was not too bad, though, when I was out from 7:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. The path got crowded around 8:00 a.m. or so and there are a few spots where passing is difficult (a couple of narrow bridges). Most of the people there understood proper path etiquette though, so it was not a problem.

If you are looking for a Busse Woods alternative and want to consider the Illinois Prairie Path, check out this link.

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Do you want to be able to eat whatever you want at the Taste of Chicago and not have to worry about your waistline? Consider running in the Race to the Taste, which is a 5k (3.1 mile) run or a 2 mile walk taking place Sunday July 1st at 8:30 a.m. The race begins at Columbus and Balbo. All participants receive a Dri-fit shirt and a strip of food tickets for the Taste!

In addition to the 5k race and the walk, there will also be a Kids Dash, for the little runner in your family. The Dash begins at 10:00 a.m., with registration taking place at 9:00 a.m.

Registration for the 5k is currently available online here.

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There is a new type of fitness facility in Chicago that can bring out your bad-girl side. According to their website, Flirty Girl Fitness is a “premiere women’s lifestyle facility that is outrageously unique and entertaining to inspire women to get fit and feel fabulous.”

Classes available at the facility include pole dancing, striptease chair dancing, boxing (with pink gloves), as well as many other types of classes. Drop-in classes are $25 each, but you can save by buying multiple class passes (i.e. five classes for $100).

The instructors are also available for at-home parties, as well as parties at the studio. I think this would be a fun idea for a bachelorette party.

The studio is located at 1325 West Randolph. For a full class schedule, as well as prices, check out the Flirty Girl Fitness website here.

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