2011 Chicago Marathon closes general registration

OK, so I was a off by a few hours. I woke up this morning, checked my e-mail and then read a headline in my inbox about the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon setting a new record. I don't even need to read the start of the news release to know what that means. The 34th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon's 45,000 spots available for registration filled early this morning, only 31 days after registration opened. That smashes the old record reached last year when the race filled in 58 days (I hope I'm right on that number, if not I'll change it).

But that's not all the news for the day. Race organizers announced that the 2010 race raised $12 million for local and global charities, also a new record. "We are no strangers to records at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon where numerous world class athletic performances were achieved over the years; but these two records are truly meaningful as they speak to the enthusiasm from runners around the world who want to be a part of our event and the thousands who use the race to make a difference in their communities," said Bank of America Chicago and Illinois Market President Tim Maloney.

Didn't register in time but still want to participate? You can still gain entry through the marathon's charity program. Several of the race-associated charities still have spots available for the race in exchange for fundraising. Check the charity section of the race website for more details. Or if that's not an option, stay tuned for other fall marathons to run--they may not be in the Windy City, but they'll get you to accomplish those marathon dreams.

So who's with me on October 9 and ready to run 26.2 miles through the streets of Chicago?