Final Call general manager completes Chicago Marathon

By FinalCall.com News | Last updated: Oct 26, 2013 - 10:51:03 AM

CHICAGO - Among runners in the 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon was Fontaine Muhammad, general manager for The Final Call, who was among the record 39,115 runners who crossed the sun-splashed finish line in Grant Park under ideal weather conditions.

“It was more special for me as Oct. 13 was the birth anniversary of my father, long live his spirit. I am also extremely grateful and thank the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan for teaching me that all things are possible when we go forth in Allah’s (God’s) name,” said Brother Fontaine, who has also previously trained and completed distance races.

Kenyan athletes dominated the men’s and women’s races with historic performances, leading the way for runners. Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto smashed the men’s course record with a 2:03:45 performance, taking 53 seconds off the previous mark set last year. In the women’s competition, Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo cracked the 2:20 barrier with a winning time of 2:19:57, the fastest women’s marathon time in the world this year. In the elite wheelchair competition, Tatyana McFadden of the United States won her third straight Chicago Marathon in a course record time of 1:42:35, taking down the previous mark set in 1992. South Africa’s Ernst Van Dyk won a sprint finish in the men’s wheelchair race to claim his first Chicago title.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon contributes an estimated $243.46 million in total business activity to the Chicago economy, according to a new economic impact report. The independent study was conducted by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Regional Economics Applications Laboratory. Figures indicate an 11 percent growth over the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s economic impact of $219.7 million, said officials.

“The new study, which analyzed the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, found that the event directly contributed an estimated $98 million distributed among the main sectors of the tourism industry, plus another $145.46 million in indirect activity, accounting for more than $243.46 million worth of total business activity and an equivalent of 1,685 full-time jobs and $82.66 million worth of wages and salary income. This means that each dollar spent by a race participant generated an additional $1.29 worth of activity distributed through the Chicago economy. Study authors applied the use of the Chicago Region Econometric Input-Output Model to assemble the findings,” said race officials.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon not only draws 45,000 race participants but also attracts new visitors to Chicago and contributes to improving the image of the city as a tourist destination, said race organizers. In addition, the event takes place during a low tourism period, helping to reduce the negative effect of seasonality in Chicago tourism, they said.

The Final Call