Chicagoans optimistic about annual marathon even amid violent Ice activity

12 10 2025 | 23:08Siri Chilukuri in Chicago

As marathoners gather at the starting line in Chicago on Sunday morning, organizers, business owners and runners are cautiously optimistic that the increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) activity the city has seen in recent weeks won’t dampen the celebrations.

The race will begin and end at Grant Park – the famous public park downtown where Chicago’s adopted son, Barack Obama, gave his victory speech on election night in 2008 – and take in the shores of Lake Michigan and 29 city neighborhoods.

 

But these are uncertain times for Chicago, with the Trump administration battling with the courts to be allowed to deploy federalized national guard troops to the city against the vehement wishes of the city’s mayor and Illinois governor, and aggressive anti-immigration action in a federal push called Operation Midway Blitz.

Recent court rulings this week have prevented the national guard from being deployed in Illinois and prevented Ice from conducting warrantless arrests. A Chicago park district post on social media stated that the agency had not heard of Ice conducting operations at the marathon. It did not return a request for comment.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said at an unrelated event: “I believe the best way in which we can demonstrate resistance is not bending the knee to tyranny. President Trump is literally undermining the economic prowess of cities like Chicago, right? So we’re encouraging everyone to get out to celebrate.”

The 26.2-mile marathon route goes through neighborhoods all over the city, including the predominantly Latino Pilsen on the west side. Multiple groups, including Pilsen Unidos Por Nuestro Orgullo (Puño), have been educating people on their rights as well as on how to respond when Ice raids occur.

Andrés Rizo, a member of Puño, said the organization is not expecting any Ice activity to hit the marathon. “We haven’t seen Ice attack any large-scale festivals directly,” he said. “I, personally, was an organizer for Fiesta Del Sol, which was one of the largest Latino festivals [in the city].”

Regardless, volunteers with Puño will be on site during the race as a precaution.

“We’re always aware of large-scale events, and Puño has been working with partners to make sure that those areas remain safe for the community. We still believe in the spirit of our community, we want there to be celebrations. We want their people to enjoy themselves. We’re trying to battle fear as well,” he said.

David Ruiz started Tortugas Run Club four years ago for beginners and slower-pace runners, and it has grown since then to more than 50 runners. His group participated in a run the day before the marathon with other run clubs and advocates to express solidarity with people detained by Ice in the city.

The very real fears of detention and deportation have kept some runners away from group events in the past few months.

“Being in a predominantly Latino neighborhood, we do have a lot of runners [in the area] that are undocumented or on Daca, and there are a lot of runners that are afraid to come out,” said Ruiz.

Héctor Aguirre, co-owner with his wife, Yvette, of La Malinche, a cafe adjacent to the race route, said the marathon is always exciting, and usually one of the best days of the year for their business. Aguirre acknowledges though that the recent Ice raids have changed the mood this year.

“This attack that Chicago is under from the federal [government] is something people don’t like,” Aguirre said. “Everybody’s feeling uncomfortable. Everybody’s feeling that it’s excessive [use of] force. We are being targeted.”

He says that the thing that makes Chicago great – its people – are the key to getting through this time.

“We got to stay together, and we got to stay strong, help each other and support our communities, support our business, support the runners, wherever they’re coming from, and that’s it,” he said.

Cover photo:  Runners cross the LaSalle Street bridge during the Chicago marathon in 2024, in Chicago. Photograph: Armando L Sanchez/AP

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