30 Runners in 30 Days

To commemorate the 30th anniversary running of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, we are counting down the final 30 days to the race with profiles of 30 runners in this year's field. Visit this page daily and learn the story behind a different runner heading to the start line on October 7.

Read previously posted runner profiles

October 6, 2007 
RUNNER 30: MARLIES FRIEDERICH

Age: 31
Occupation: LaSalle Bank Retail Banker
Hometown: Amsterdam, the Netherlands (now resides in Chicago, Illinois)
Previous Marathons: Debut

Runner Story: Marlies Friederich moved from Amsterdam to Chicago with the belief that marathons are too long and simply could not be good for a person to complete. It wasn’t long before her attitude changed completely. Being new to the country, she and her husband were seeking ways to make new friends and see as much of the landscape as possible during their stay. A group of their new friends were planning to run in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and their enthusiasm quickly attracted Marlies and her husband to join them.

Though she was unable to register in time for the marathon, she joined the crowds on race day to cheer her husband and new friends on their journey. Marlies found herself hooked on the energy of the marathon and eagerly awaited her turn to compete as well. Fighting her desire to stay up late and sleep through the morning, she plugged along with her husband at 6:00 a.m. to begin training. She decided to begin by preparing for a half marathon and to work her way up to the full marathon in the fall. Her competitive spirit motivated her to be ready to go whenever her husband decided to train and he mirrored her drive. Running in the half marathons in Nashville and Lake Geneva offered her the opportunity to satisfy her desire to travel all the while keeping her in shape and close to the exciting races she had learned to love.

Running has inspired her to not only to run for fun, but also to run for charity. As a member of Team Fox she will assist her group in fundraising for the fight against Parkinson’s disease. Since her father-in-law was diagnosed with the disease, Marlies and her husband have sought ways to promote research for preventative and post diagnostic care. Being able to support the team while taking on a challenge she never imagined gives her the extra motivation she is seeking to push her to the finish line.

In addition to representing her team, Marlies looks forward to representing her employer.  As a member of the Personal Financial Services Department at LaSalle Bank, she is particularly excited to run in the race sponsored by her company. She hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon and plans to attack triathlons in the future. Though her thoughts often travel to what her next goal will be, she anticipates running in this year’s LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon as being both challenging and rewarding.