Congratulations to Class of 2023 docent Kimberly Kanakes for completing the Bank of America marathon last Sunday! We are very proud of your awesome achievement!
Although she has now run two marathons, and a couple of half-marathons, Kimberly tells us that she really doesn’t have an interest in long-distance running. She ran the race to raise money for the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. The arboretum is one of her favorite places, and her family and friends generously donated to her fundraising goal. Throughout the race, she said it inspired her to keep going.
What with a full-time job, leading walking tours and the River Cruise, Kimberly didn’t have time for a formal running group. Instead, she trained on her own, running/walking most mornings in the summer, and long runs on Sundays. Even though she hadn’t met all her training goals before the race, she figured momentum would carry her through. And it did – as evidenced by her smiling face and 2024 Chicago Marathon medal.
Kimberly notes, “When I made my way through the post-race maze of activities, porta-potties, fencing, free beer & bananas, runners & spectators & finally got back out to Michigan Avenue, the idea of walking to Union Station to catch my train back home to Naperville was NOT happening! I grabbed a pedicab & took a very bumpy, very expensive ride to Union Station, but it was worth every penny!
Watch for this space in 2025 – Kimberly has signed up for another marathon next year!
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Way to go Kim!
Congrats, Kimberly! That’s a huge achievement! I hope you shared some architecture highlights to your fellow runners as you ran the course? 🙂