Annual ‘Bank of America Play It Forward Clinic’ connects young runners with elite coaches

CHICAGO — The 46th annual Chicago Marathon kicks off this weekend and Bank of America is introducing the next generation of runners to the sport.

At the third Annual Bank of America Play It Forward Clinic, young runners are matched up with elite coaches who are looking to help close the opportunity gap in youth sports.

The clinic invites more than 100 young runners, ages 7 through 11, from the nonprofits Girls on the Run-Chicago and Chicago Run to participate in a two-hour running clinic hosted by Olympians and running legends, like Meb Keflezighi, Galen Rupp, Emily Sisson and more.

At the clinic, the young athletes receive world-class running instruction as they rotate through several clinic stations to learn skills like stretching, pacing strategies, warm-up techniques, endurance, and sportsmanship.

“They are going to learn from some really amazing athletes, we have several Olympians and exciting people from Nike, who are here to teach them not only running but also life skills, endurance healthy lifestyles, confidence and all sorts of things that come with running,” Bank of America Managing Director Maureen Lesak said.

The annual event was held in the ComEd Recreation Center at Addams Park on Wednesday afternoon.

The clinics are held around the country, but organizers said Wednesday’s event was the largest ever held in Chicago.

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