August 28, 2025
With back-to-school signaling an end to summer we’re already eagerly looking ahead to a fall filled with events and activities for Mercy Home’s young people and supporters alike.
Among these is one of the world’s preeminent athletic events, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Before we know it, on a crisp, cool Sunday morning in October, more than 50,000 runners will stream past our Home on their way to the finish line. And in their midst will be 525 Mercy Home Heroes running to raise support for our work with young people.
Recently, 36 members our Mercy Home Heroes team enjoyed a sneak peek at the last 10 miles of October’s route with a training run, appropriately dubbed “The Final 10.”
Participants met at Mercy Home, where Heroes Endurance Program Manager Mary Connolly gave them an overview of the route, a little healthy encouragement, and some sound advice on safe running. After a good stretch session, runners stepped onto the marathon course, acclimating themselves to the portion that runs from the Mercy Mile–as we’ve christened the stretch of Jackson Boulevard in front of Mercy Home’s West Loop Campus–to the marathon’s finish line in Chicago’s Grant Park. With about an additional two miles from there to the end point at Cryobar in the West Loop, runners racked up about a dozen total miles, taking many big steps in preparation for race day success later this fall.
Helping them cool off and refresh tired muscles after the long training run, participants had the chance to test the benefits of cryotherapy for themselves, thanks to the Heroes program’s official recovery partner.
More than building their bodies for the physical demands of a marathon, the Final 10 training run helped prepare them psychologically as well. “While every long run during training is important, this event is particularly helpful for first-time marathoners,” said Connolly.
“[On race day] many of them will be focused throughout their first 16 miles on getting to the Mercy Mile and being greeted by blaring music and the cheering crowds. But then when they get a block further down the road, reality tends to kick in: ‘I still have 10 miles to go.’”
That’s why the Final 10 run was designed to give them a first-hand experience with those last 10 critical miles, which could end up making a critical difference in their confidence in October. “They’ll be able to say, I’ve done this part already,” Connolly said.
Mercy Home’s Endurance Program, which includes the hundreds of Mercy Home Heroes who run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, has become not only a major fundraiser for the Home, but also a mission awareness raiser. Those who don the Heroes jersey on their training runs, shorter races, and the marathon in October are mobile ambassadors for Mercy Home. Connolly is grateful to everyone who’s ever laced up their shoes for the cause as well as those who partner with us to help our runners succeed, and those who volunteer at events.
Please join us in front of Mercy Home on marathon day, October 12 to cheer on our heroes on as they push through the “final 10.”
Meanwhile, you can check out this brief video from the Final 10 event.
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