Teachers & Features

Inside Justin Apollonio's Chicago Marathon Run

By Justin Apollonio

Edited by Rohan Shukla

Photos by Justin Apollonio

November 13, 2025

Running a marathon is something fewer than 0.1% of the population does each year; completing one of the world's seven major marathons—New York, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, Berlin, London, or Sydney—is even harder. Last month, I had the surreal and unforgettable experience of completing the Chicago Marathon.

Reaching marathon-running shape takes months, sometimes even years, of consistent training. To me, there is a difference between completing a marathon—covering 26.2 miles on foot—and running one, which means committing to not stopping or walking the entire way, no matter how slow the pace. Both are still amazing feats but there is a difference. I believe in pushing my limits through new challenges. 

When I was 14, I completed the local Millbrook marathon in 4 hours and 33 minutes. The next year, when I was 15, I set a goal to break four hours. I trained harder and crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 57 minutes.

So how did I go from a small local race to one of the biggest marathons in the world? I was scrolling on Instagram. A reel announcing the Chicago Marathon entry lottery caught my eye. Chicago is unique among the majors for allowing 16-year-old runners (the others require participants to be 18). Since I would be 16 on race day, I applied. The two-month waiting period was stressful, and even more stressful was the day the acceptance emails went out. Out of 150,000 applicants, only 30,000 received lottery spots; I wasn’t one of them.

However, the email mentioned other entry methods, leading me to charity teams. Charities receive a set number of guaranteed entries for runners who meet fundraising goals. I really wanted to run this race, so I chose a charity that meant something to me. My father passed away from cancer in 2020, so I chose to support a cancer-focused organization. I applied to Project Purple, which supports families affected by pancreatic cancer. After an interview, I was accepted onto their team. 

To earn my entry, I needed to raise a minimum of $3,000. Over eight months, with the support of family, friends and community, I raised $3,700. Together, the entire Project Purple team (about 180 runners) raised $800,000!

With my entry secured, the next steps were getting to Chicago and running the race. My goal was to finish in under 3 hours and 30 minutes. I arrived Friday night and spent Saturday at the race expo picking up my bib (race number). Race day was Sunday.

That morning, I arrived at my assigned corral at 8:00 a.m., placed far back in a section meant for slower runners than my target pace. Before the race began, I worked my way to the front of the corral to ensure a clear path, placing myself within the top 20 of my group as the starting gun fired. 

The race itself was amazing. Spectators lined nearly every corner, and running alongside thousands of people chasing the same goal as me was incredibly motivating.

I won't detail every mile, but the run went better than I could’ve imagined. My initial goal, when I signed up in October 2024, was to finish in 3:45. After a summer of dedicated training, I changed that to 3:30. Ultimately, I smashed that goal, finishing with an official time of 3:20.

The entire experience was amazing, and I wouldn't change a thing. While I’m too young for another major marathon for now, I plan to continue running competitively. I have a long list of future challenges in mind: Hyrox, Spartan, ultra-marathons, Ragnar, triathlons, and more. There’s so much I want to accomplish to push my physical limits, and I intend to do it all one day. But for now, competitive running and just training for the rest.