Chicago Marathon bans masks and other costumes

Watching superheroes and mascots stumble across the finish line of a marathon may be a fading trend.

Last year at the Chicago Marathon Neal Lucas broke the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon while dressed as an animal. This year that won’t be an option in Chicago.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has banned masks, costumes which cover the face, and any non-formfitting clothing, citing safety and security concerns. This could prevent not only attempts at Lucas’s record, but many of the odd Guinness World Record attempts and charity runs which have become commonplace at road races.

Lucas ran 2:51:18 last year in Chicago while dressed as a cow, but his is not the only obscure road race record kept by the Guinness record keepers. Another record will now be impossible to chase in Chicago is the mascot marathon time (4:16:43), set by Peter Donato in Toronto in 2010, or dressed as a superhero (2:34:56), set by Michael Wardin in Maryland, 2011. Also, any awareness or charity runs which involve costumes would be at risk.

After the attacks at the Boston Marathon last spring, race directors have upped their attention to security measures. Before the attacks, security was already tightening with the numbers of participants at road races swelling over the last decade. Backpacks, luggage, and other non-essential personal items have already been banned from Chicago and many other races around the world.

“I think they’ve kind of gone overboard with security and protection,” said Donato. “[Do] you think a terrorist is going to wear a Spiderman outfit?

“[How] do you protect 52 miles?” continued Donato. “42K on both sides of the road is about 52 miles of security. They’re taking the fun out of the race, and if some sick person wants to use the marathon as a vehicle for making a statement, they’re going to do it. It’s pretty hard to monitor 52 miles of road.”