Posted: October 6, 2007

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

30 Inspiring Stories in 30 Days Marlies Friederich is the perfect example of someone who is drawn magnetically to the lure of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Pulled from the sidelines by its contagious appeal, Marlies and her husband joined the running ranks and look forward to representing their employer – LaSalle Bank – and supporting the fight against Parkinson’s disease as charity runners. WHO: Marlies Friederich AGE: 31 OCCUPATION: LaSalle Bank Retail Banker HOMETOWN: Amsterdam, the Netherlands (now resides in Chicago, Illinois) PREVIOUS MARATHONS: Debut RUNNER STORY: Marlies Friederich moved from Amsterdam to Chicago with the belief that marathons are too long and simply could not be good for a person to complete. It wasn’t long before her attitude changed completely. Being new to the country, she and her husband were seeking ways to make new friends and see as much of the landscape as possible during their stay. A group of their new friends were planning to run in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and their enthusiasm quickly attracted Marlies and her husband to join them. Though she was unable to register in time for the marathon, she joined the crowds on race day to cheer her husband and new friends on their journey. Marlies found herself hooked on the energy of the marathon and eagerly awaited her turn to compete as well. Fighting her desire to stay up late and sleep through the morning, she plugged along with her husband at 6:00 a.m. to begin training. She decided to begin by preparing for a half marathon and to work her way up to the full marathon in the fall. Her competitive spirit motivated her to be ready to go whenever her husband decided to train and he mirrored her drive. Running in the half marathons in Nashville and Lake Geneva offered her the opportunity to satisfy her desire to travel all the while keeping her in shape and close to the exciting races she had learned to love. Running has inspired her to not only to run for fun, but also to run for charity. As a member of Team Fox she will assist her group in fundraising for the fight against Parkinson’s disease. Since her father-in-law was diagnosed with the disease, Marlies and her husband have sought ways to promote research for preventative and post diagnostic care. Being able to support the team while taking on a challenge she never imagined gives her the extra motivation she is seeking to push her to the finish line. In addition to representing her team, Marlies looks forward to representing her employer. As a member of the Personal Financial Services Department at LaSalle Bank, she is particularly excited to run in the race sponsored by her company. She hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon and plans to attack triathlons in the future. Though her thoughts often travel to what her next goal will be, she anticipates running in this year’s LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon as being both challenging and rewarding. 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. Marlies’s story and all previously released runner stories are available at ChicagoMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest