By: Ted Dabrowski
Regular readers of Wirepoints know we reject the “equity” lens that’s being used to make policy decisions in Chicago these days. Concepts like critical race theory, DEI and universal basic income are crushing values like merit, achievement, competence and grit that originally made Chicago the great city it is. As those values have declined, so too has the city. Crime is on the rise, the city’s budget remains broken, debts are out-of-control and people and businesses continue to leave.
So it was refreshing to see those traditional values thrive in the city this past weekend, if only for a day, during the 44th running of the Chicago Marathon. It was Chicago at its best.
Competence shone, not just among the elite runners and ordinary participants, but among the organizations and people that put together the event. More than 40,000 runners, thousands of volunteers and 1.7 million spectators hit the streets to participate in one of the city’s most exciting traditions.
The city was on full display, from its amazing architecture to its diverse neighborhoods, from Uptown to Chinatown to Bronzeville. Sounds too, filled the course, from funk music on the West Side to mariachis in Pilsen to live Beatles’ tunes in the West Loop, courtesy of the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Chicago runs a world-class event. That’s why it’s part of the Abbott World Majors, the six largest and most renowned marathons including those in Boston, Tokyo, Berlin, London and New York. Runners come from more than 100 countries and all 50 states to run the Chicago Marathon.
It’s quite the operation to make a marathon function smoothly. A large part of the city has to be closed down to accommodate the course. The runners need to be started safely and on time. The crowd has to be managed, no easy feat. Food, water, and restrooms have to be plentiful. Volunteers have to make sure all those services are accessible. There’s also the medical volunteers who are there to ensure runners in trouble get help quickly.
And then there’s the whole issue of providing public safety. Again, no small feat in a city that’s experienced a boom in violent crimes since George Floyd and the pandemic.
What’s most fascinating about the marathon is its absolute embrace of merit. The elite runners are racing to see who can get the top prize, hoping, even, to break the world record on Chicago’s fast, flat course.
Thousands more runners are competing against themselves to see if they can beat their personal-best times. And yet others are doing their best to accomplish something even more basic: to cross the finish line after 26.2 miles of grueling effort.
Chicago’s leaders would do well to heed the lessons of their city’s celebrated marathon. The race is all about hard work, training, discipline, grit and sacrifice.
The city has to once again embrace those values if it’s ever going to reverse its decline.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- It’s Crazy On Many Levels, But Cook County Has Launched Its ‘Free Money’ UBI Program
- Chicago 2022 homicides will exceed 2019 baseline; McDonald’s CEO warns city’s future at stake
- Chicago 2022 budget up nearly 60% over 2019 as Mayor Lightfoot set to implement ‘equity’ agenda
- Lightfoot doesn’t get it. A broke Chicago can’t ‘eliminate inequalities’ or ‘expand opportunities.’
- More Signs That Illinois’ Green ‘Industrial Policy’ Is Failing
- Real “equity” in Cook County requires sweeping reforms
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Ted – you have captured the essence of the sport wonderfully. As a former state champion in track and cross country and NCAA D1 athlete, my cohort finds the narrative over intersectionality and a hierarchy of oppression based on race hard to stomach. The stopwatch discriminates against no one. And you don’t need a track or special facilities to train – my university had a reconstruction project which kept us off a track for three of my four years. By the way, never a marathoner – not a long distance guy – and that event requires lots of courage and… Read more »
I had two friends, one local, one out of state, run in Sunday’s marathon. They had high compliments for the entire experience. If only we could say the same about the city every day. Alas, that is so far off . . .
In the near future I expect to witness another Chicago Marathon of sorts to see who can run out of Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois the fastest.
Of course you’ll run to a red state. Just leave any Democratic Party voting habits at the border lest you foul your new nest too.
Refugee not missionary, they remind you
Ted is correct that this race is symbolic of what the city used to be. I volunteered with the marathon for many years, and the organizers behind the scenes are a fantastic group of logistical experts. They make everything look easy, and I can assure you, it’s not easy to put on a one day event of this magnitude. Imagine being able to move a typical crowd at Wrigley Field around the city for 26 miles in a few hours. And then do it successfully year after year after year, to the point where people from all around the world… Read more »
Being a good runner is important in Chicago.
the marathon, named after a glamorized and likely fictional event occurring thousands of years ago in a white supremacist ancient Greek history, where slavery, misogyny, there was no diversity (and outsiders were called barbarians) and a fake, illiberal eliteist white male ‘democracy’ was practiced. It’s about time we renamed the ‘marathon’ to something like ‘long distance race’ and make it an even 25 miles instead of 26.2.
Debtsor – the best marathoners in the world are from East Africa. The world record holder Eliud Kiochoge is the best ever – not just talented but superior in preparation and mental toughness to any top ranked European or American runner. He is 38, and a world champion at age 19 in the 5000 meters. He and Bekele from Ethiopia changed the sport. Rest assured they have no concerns over white oppression or tribal hierarchies. They know how to prepare, win and dominate. I know you understand this, but it does underscore that the narrative of oppression rarely leads to… Read more »
In short, where race hatred and communism have been tried, they’ve failed. They’re only successful at creating unstable societies and misery.
Hard times create strong men
Strong men create good times
Good times create weak men
Weak men create hard times <==== you are here
Amen