Kara Goucher is a superstar in the distance running community. If she travels to an expo, doing some promotional work for the event, or for her sponsor Nike, she will most certainly see a line of hundreds lining up, seeking her autograph or to tell her how much they look up to her. She is the superstar of the road racing community, especially coming off her courageous performance at the Boston Marathon earlier this spring.While the IAAF World Marathon Championships take place in three weeks time, Goucher is headed to Chicago this weekend to tune-up at the Chicago Rock n’ Roll Half-Marathon. Surprisingly, Goucher is the only elite athlete in the field, and is considered the favorite to win the entire race, not just the women’s race. With only a few top local runners in the field, Goucher will be running more of a time trial than a race it seems.
However, this won’t stop her from trying to do something incredible. With a flat course and relatively mild August temperatures expected, Goucher certainly has a shot to challenge the U.S. Half-Marathon record of 1:07:34, set by Deena Kastor in 2006 in Berlin, Germany. Running alone is always a challenge, but if anyone can challenge the U.S. record it is definitely Goucher.
TV Note: Goucher will be shown racing live on Competitior.com on Sunday, starting at 6:30 a.m. CST.
Notes: The first ever Chicago Rock n’ Roll Half-Marathon takes place on Sunday, August 2, starting at 6:30 a.m. CST in Grant Park. Previously named the Chicago Distance Classic, this year’s event will see 18,000 participants take to the streets of Chicago and the Lake Michigan Lakefront Path. Kara Goucher will throw out the first pitch of the White Sox-Yankees game Saturday, which will be nationally televised on FOX at 3:05 p.m. CST.
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