4th annual Chicago Bank of America 13.1 provides a showcase for the city’s West Side neighborhoods

CHICAGO — The fourth annual Bank of America Chicago 13.1 is underway Sunday morning, with about 10,000 runners weaving throughout the city’s West Side.

The half-marathon began and will end in Garfield Park, with the course taking runners through the historic parks and boulevards of the West Side in between, including scenic loops through Humboldt and Douglass Parks.

The event concludes with a race-day festival at Garfield Park late Sunday morning.

The event moved to Chicago’s West Side in 2022, and it gives runners and spectators a chance to see a part of the city they may not be familiar with.

Brianna Ramirez-Smith owns Lolita’s Bodega in Humboldt Park, which provides pop-up markets for artisans to come and sell their items. She told WGN-TV the half-marathon has become a great showcase for West Side businesses and neighborhoods (see attached video player).

“Having these types of events on the West Side, specifically Garfield Park and also running through Humboldt Park, has really shown people how beautiful these neighborhoods are,” Ramirez-Smith said. “That’s not what you hear on the news, or the things that you hear in the newspaper. It’s more about the communities and the people that live here who are really just trying to do their thing and live their lives, and live in a nice neighborhood.

“… You need to come and visit and see what it’s like.”

Susannah Scaroni of Champaign, who won the women’s wheelchair race in the event for the third time Sunday morning, told WGN-TV she enjoys the West Side course (see video player below).

“Always a fun course,” Scaroni said. “It was a little bit different this year than the last two years I’ve done it. Great crowds, so it was a really fun morning.”

The half-marathon is the second race of the Bank of America Chicago Distance Series. The Shamrock Shuffle was in late March, and the Chicago Marathon will conclude the series on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Visit chicago13point1.com for full Bank of America Chicago 13.1 information and results.

Street closures

The following are street closures and reopening times for the Bank of America 13.1:

• Music Ct. Circle: Hamlin Blvd. to Woodward Dr. (reopens 5 p.m. Monday)
• Woodward Dr.: Madison St. to Jackson Blvd. (reopens 5 p.m. Monday)
• Jackson Blvd.: Hamlin Blvd. to Central Park Ave. (reopens 5 p.m. Sunday)
• Madison St.: Hamlin Blvd. to Central Park Ave. (reopens 5 p.m. Sunday)
• McCrea Dr.: Schraeder Dr. to end (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Schraeder Dr.: Hamlin Blvd. to Washington Blvd. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Madison St.: Central Park Ave. to St. Louis Ave. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Central Park Ave.: Washington Blvd. to 5th Ave. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Independence Blvd.: Jackson Blvd. to Douglas Blvd. (reopens 9:30 a.m. Sunday)
• Douglas Blvd.: Independence Blvd. to Sacramento Dr. (reopens 9:30 a.m. Sunday)
• Sacramento Dr.: Ogden Blvd. to Roosevelt Rd. (reopens 9:30 a.m. Sunday)
• Ogden Ave.: Sacramento Blvd. to California Ave. (reopens 9:30 a.m. Sunday)
• Farrar Dr.: Ogden Blvd. to Sacramento Dr. (reopens 9:30 a.m. Sunday)
• Hamlin Blvd.: Madison St. to Congress Pkwy. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Hamlin Blvd.: Madison St. to Maypole Ave. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Washington Blvd.: Schraeder Dr. to Hamlin Blvd. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)
• Central Park Ave.: Lake St. to Franklin Blvd. (reopens 10:45 a.m. Sunday)
• Conservatory Dr.: Lake St. to Franklin Blvd. (reopens 10:45 a.m. Sunday)
• Franklin Blvd.: Central Park Ave. to Sacramento Blvd. (reopens 10:45 a.m. Sunday)
• Sacramento Blvd.: Franklin Blvd to Augusta Blvd. (reopens 10:45 a.m. Sunday)
• Humboldt Dr.: Augusta Blvd. to North Ave. (reopens 10:45 a.m. Sunday)
• Division St.: Humboldt Dr. to Luis Munoz Marin Dr. (reopens 10:45 a.m. Sunday)
• Luis Munoz Marin Dr.: Humboldt Dr. to Humboldt Dr. (reopens 11 a.m. Sunday)