Posted: September 15, 2007

Athletics: Counting Down To The 30th Anniversary Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Joyce Brooks is pursuing travel and good health in her golden years. To that end, she has set the goal to complete 50 marathons in all 50 states by walking them. The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is no. 10 on her list and she will continue her commitment to fundraising for education by dedicating her journey on Oct. 7 to the Lakeside PTA. WHO: Joyce Brooks AGE: 60 OCCUPATION: Retired educator HOMETOWN: Lake Village, Arkansas PREVIOUS MARATHONS: 9 (in 9 different states) RUNNER STORY: Joyce Brooks is a retired educator with two goals in mind for her golden years: to travel and stay healthy. In an effort to complete both at the same time she is planning to participate in marathons in all 50 states, plus one in Washington, D.C. She has always enjoyed meeting people in new places and learning about their local history and personal stories. By participating in marathons she is able to take in the scenery as well as meet competitors and learn about what brought them to the race. Throughout her life, Joyce has always been aware of the importance of staying healthy. She combines a careful diet with exercise from training to create a healthy lifestyle. As a walker she finds that preparing for the races is fairly time consuming. At a slower pace than the runners, she must dedicate extra time in order to cover the same distance. As does any marathoner, she surrenders her free time to train – always looking to quicken the pace without sacrificing endurance. She proudly boasts that her drive to compete in 51 marathons has kept her in shape and feeling good both mentally and physically. This year’s LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will not be Joyce’s first race. She is most proud of her performance in Memphis where she finished with a time of 6:23:00; her best yet. She is looking forward to improving her time and having her sister, daughter, and niece by her side. She is eager to have familiar company around her and is excited to introduce her family to something she has grown to enjoy. As an educator, her concern for the welfare of others has motivated her to give to her community. For this reason, Joyce selects a new charity each year to support in her races. She typically prefers organizations that support children in their health, education, and general well-being. This year she will be supporting the Lakeside School PTA, which in turn funds educational programs for children in her hometown of Lake Village, Arkansas. With her goals set clearly in front of her, she views the Marathon as a source of fun and fulfillment. RACE INFORMATION: The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Sunday, October 7, 2007 as 45,000 participants advance to the start line, embarking on the culmination of 45,000 personal journeys. Along with the massive field of recreational runners, the 26.2-mile course will welcome a full field of world renowned professional athletes drawn to the flat, fast, urban setting and the potential to break world and national records. The professionals will compete for prize money and points in the World Marathon Majors series which will crown its first male and female champions with $500,000 each at the close of 2007. Since the inception of its charity program in 2002, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has generated more than $27.5 million for a variety of charitable causes including $9.5 million in the 2006 event alone. Registration for the race opened on January 1, 2007 and closed when it reached capacity on April 18. Joyce’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest