Early interest indicates great expectations for 30th anniversary Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon

With its 30th anniversary running still nine months away, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has generated early excitement since launching registration last week. As the clock struck 12 on Jan. 1, Karen Cushing of Elmhurst, Ill. became the first officially registered runner and today the first donation was made to the Marathon's highly successful charity program that raised more than $9.3 million in 2006.

At a press conference in Springfield, Ill. today, Illinois State Senator Phyllis Petka made the first official pledge to The 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon charity program by donating $3,578.89 to a runner associated with the Organization for Autism Research's (OAR) team. Sen. Petka's daughter, Melinda Struck, 29 of St. Charles, Ill., has registered to run on behalf of the non-profit organization in honor of her daughter who is afflicted with the disease.

Sen. Petka took office last year to complete the term of her late husband and committed to donate any payment she received for her service to charity. She fulfilled that promise today by donating her entire payment to Struck's fundraising campaign in conjunction with the Oct. 7 Race.

�"We have a granddaughter - Lexi Petka - who is on the autism spectrum. I know first hand how difficult the struggle is for the afflicted child as well as for the supporting family," said Petka (R-Plainfield). �"At an earlier time, only one child out of 10,000 was afflicted. Today the number is one in 166. I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of finding the way to prevent autism and helping persons of all ages to overcome the effects of this malady."

OAR was one of 60 charities that partnered with the Marathon in 2006, organizing a team of 100 runners. Since joining the Marathon charity program in 2005, more than 250 runners have participated in the Race as members of OAR's team, raising $200,000 for its research programs.

When registration for the popular 26.2-mile Race opened at midnight on Jan. 1, Karen Cushing, a 49-year-old mother of three and four-time veteran of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, was the first official registrant. While the remainder of the Chicagoland area rang in the New Year, Cushing reignited her mission to qualify for the Boston Marathon on the Chicago course.

In the 2006 Race, Cushing's goal was to qualify for Boston, a feat that would require her to cross the Finish Line in under four hours. Early in the Race she suffered an injury to her iliotibial (IT) band which prevented her from reaching her goal, but not from crossing the Finish Line in 5:08:39.

�"Although my time was over an hour longer than what I needed, it was by far the most satisfying marathon I have run to date," said Cushing. �"I wanted to register early (for the 2007 Race) to keep the notion of running again alive. You do have to believe something can happen in order to make it happen."

Cushing will again try to qualify for the Boston Marathon on The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon course which will host 45,000 runners on Oct. 7, 2007.

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will welcome 45,000 runners and 1.2 million spectators to its urban course on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007. Registration is now open online at chicagomarathon.com and will close when the 45,000 participant capacity is reached. The 2006 Race registered 40,000 runners and raised $9.3 million through its charity program.