Florida runners registered for the Chicago Marathon have a big decision to make

When news broke about Hurricane Milton approaching Florida, Dave Richardson and his wife Stephanie, who live just a few miles outside Fort Lauderdale, decided to change their flight plans.

They moved up their departure to Chicago by four days. Now, the couple is staying in an airport hotel, working remotely until the Chicago Marathon starts on Sunday.

"I'm hoping that by this time tomorrow, I'll still have camera access to my house and can check for any damage," Richardson shared. "Once I know everything’s okay, I can put the stress behind me and focus on the marathon."

Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, made landfall Wednesday night about 70 miles south of Tampa, bringing severe winds and flooding. Evacuation orders were issued for 15 counties, and millions of Florida residents lost power.

As airports in the area began canceling flights, many runners from Florida who had trained for the Chicago Marathon faced a tough choice: stay home or risk missing the race.

The Chicago Marathon organizers sent emails to Florida participants, offering them the option to defer their entry to 2025 without any additional cost.

Richardson received one of these messages on Tuesday and praised the marathon organizers for looking out for runners. He mentioned that those running for charity teams, such as the American Cancer Society, which the Richardsons support, usually don’t get a deferral option.

"Our hearts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Milton," a Chicago Marathon spokesperson said in a statement. "We’re closely watching the situation, and we understand that participants from storm-affected regions might not make it this year. We’ll be in touch to offer them options for this or future races."

Roughly 1,500 runners from Florida registered for this year’s marathon, and the marathon team is continuing to process deferral requests.

The Richardsons have been planning their Chicago trip since last October, after completing the Marine Corps Marathon. This year, they’ve already participated in the Napa Valley Marathon and the Utah Valley Marathon.

Since arriving in Chicago on Sunday, Richardson has noticed dozens of anxious posts from Florida runners on Facebook, worried about whether they’ll be able to make it in time to pick up their race bibs by Saturday.

"Maybe they’ll offer something for late arrivals if you have a Florida ID," Richardson speculated. "Right now, everyone’s stressing about whether the airports will be operational."

Carla Sieber, a 33-year-old nurse from Tampa, is uncertain if she’ll be able to catch her Friday flight to Chicago, considering the situation at her local airport.

“I’m torn,” Sieber said in a text message. “So many people will need help after the storm, but I’ve trained hard and I’m running for a charity. I want to be with my team.”

Sieber remains undecided but said she may end up staying in Tampa to assist her community.

As of Wednesday, two members of Team Red Cross from Florida had already withdrawn from the race due to the storm.

The team originally had about 165 runners, each tasked with raising at least $1,250 for the Red Cross.

By midweek, the team had raised over $257,000, with more donations expected by race day.

The funds will go toward disaster relief efforts, including hurricane recovery, as well as other services like blood drives.

Mara Thompson, a spokesperson for Team Red Cross who is also running in the marathon, reflected on how recent natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Milton and Helene, have added significance to this year’s race.

"I did my last 20-mile training run recently, and knowing the cause I’m supporting made it easier to push through the pain," she said. "It’s a small discomfort compared to what people affected by these disasters are facing."

Thompson recalled a runner from last year’s team who traveled from Lahaina to Chicago after losing everything in the Maui wildfires.

The runner had described the recovery process as “a marathon, not a sprint," drawing strength from that symbolism to run the race.