Friday, October 29, 2010

Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Pilsen and sponges

Neighborhoods change, which is why Pilsen, despite its name, is predominately Mexican-American now. Pilsen is the namesake of a Czech Republic city.

Along with Chinatown--which will be the topic of my next post--Pilsen is one of the most celebratory parts of the course of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which took place on 10/10/10.

The masked man on the left--click on any image to make it larger--is blowing a vuvuzela. About the sponges--these were handed out in Pilsen--which were well received on a hot day. But just for a while--like good intentions, the sponges were quickly dropped at the first opportunity.

About two blocks away from Vuvuzela Man were these two paper mache figures.

There's another major marathon taking place on Sunday--Marine Corps in Washington. With the recent shooting incidents at the Pentagon and the nearby US Marines museum and a recruiting office, area police are adding extra security to the race. Unfortunately, with thousands of participants taking part, and with an equal number of spectators, guaranteeing safety is impossible.


The still developing news about suspicious packages arriving in the United States from Yemen adds additional tension.

But let the good times run and roll on Sunday. Godspeed, runners!

Earlier posts:

Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: International runners
Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Cancer runners
Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: More charity runners
Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Politics
Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Boystown
Chicago Marathon 10/10/10: Saluting the troops
Miss Black Illinois completes Chicago Marathon
My 21st consecutive Chicago Marathon

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