Top 10 Reasons to Run the Chicago Marathon with Mercy Home

1. Mercy Home for Boys & Girls has been saving kids’ lives for over 128 years.

When you run to raise funds and awareness for Mercy Home, you’re supporting an organization with a long history of providing care, resources, and support for kids in crisis. Since 1887, Mercy Home has changed the lives of over 30,000 kids.

2. There is nothing like passing the charity you’re running to support at Mile 16 and getting high fives from the kids whose lives you’re changing.

The Mercy Mile is an incredible stretch of the race course at Mile 16 – your friends, family, and all of us at Mercy Home will join in cheering you on as you make your way to the finish line. The energy and support is second to none – you have to experience it to understand!

3. You’ll have some pretty incredible teammates – ranging in age from 18 to 74.

In 2015, our team included a true legend – one of only eight men who have finished every Chicago Marathon since it started in 1977 – that’s 38 Chicago Marathons. And our youngest Mercy Home Hero last year was one of our very own Mercy Home residents – a dedicated 18-year-old who wanted to give back to the home that he feels has given him so much. Talk about inspiring, and those are just two examples from our team of over 240!

4. You’re don’t have to train alone – we’ll give you free access to group training!

We get it, waking up early and hitting the roads can be tough some days. We’re proud to partner with a number of local group training options so you have the support of a group to get you going. We’ll cover the cost of training with one of our approved partners. And, for our out-of-town Heroes, we’ll cover your virtual training plan.

5. Because as a runner, you know that access to an indoor bathroom on race morning can make all the difference in the world!

As a Mercy Home Hero, you’ll have access to our exclusive race-day headquarters at DePaul University’s Loop Campus Student Center – just a short walk from the start/finish area of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. We’ll have gear check, food, post-race recovery, elevators, and of course, toilets that flush.

6.You can eat more carbs, including (and especially) the carbs at our pre-race pasta dinner!

If you’re looking for a good excuse to incorporate more carbohydrates into your diet, marathon training is it. We’ll take care of your pre-race carbo loading with our incredible family-style authentic Italian pasta dinner the Friday before the race.

7. Green looks good on you.

Who doesn’t love new running apparel? Join our team and we’ll outfit you in Mercy Home green so you can show your Hero pride as you’re training to go the distance. And in a sea of 45,000 runners on race day, you’ll stand out as one of our Heroes!

8. Because Mercy Home and the Chicago Marathon go way back…to 1992.

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls was one of the first charities to receive support from the Chicago Marathon, and we’ve got the paper pledge forms to prove it. Mercy Home’s connection to the Chicago Marathon is strong, and we’re honored to be partnered with them again today!

9. Crossing the finish line of a marathon for the first (or even fiftieth) time is life-changing.

Each year, half of our Heroes are first-time marathoners, achieving something they maybe never thought was possible. So if this is your first marathon, you’ll be in good company and get lots of support. And if this isn’t your first marathon, your first-timer teammates will help bring back all the memories from your first 26.2-mile journey.

10. Because no distance is too far to save a child’s life.

We’re so grateful for the support, dedication, and kindness of our Mercy Home Heroes. We can’t thank our Heroes enough for making their miles matter more by running on behalf of Mercy Home.