More than 50 UIC students volunteer at Chicago Marathon

For the third consecutive year, UIC students were at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon, not as runners, but as volunteers in an effort organized by the department of kinesiology and nutrition.

As thousands of runners finished the 26-mile race, the students were there to help those crying with relief and exhaustion, those who needed a hand and those who needed medical help.

“Our program has grown each year,” said Meredith Wekesser, clinical assistant professor in the department of kinesiology and nutrition. All told, there were 51 volunteers this year. “The student volunteers were helping out in so many different capacities throughout the entire marathon weekend.”

For undergraduate kinesiology students, volunteering for the Oct. 13 marathon was part of a special projects course. Graduate students came from the performance sport and exercise psychology graduate program, also in the department of kinesiology and nutrition. 

Before race day, the students pitched in at the big pre-marathon expo held at McCormick Place Convention Center. As part of the Chicago PSYCHing team, they gave runners encouragement and talked through their concerns ahead of the race. 

On the day of the marathon, the student volunteers arrived before dawn, ready with ice packs and continued encouragement. Most of the volunteers stood among the runners as they crossed the finish line so they could spot those in need of help and jump into action.  

“We congratulate the runners and conduct quick assessments of their mental status and well-being,” Wekesser said. “If they needed assistance from a psychological standpoint or medical standpoint, we were basically the first responders in that scenario who would get them to the next level of care.”

Some runners needed assistance moving out of the way as waves of more runners approached the finish line. Others needed more immediate care.

“We might see a runner go down after finishing the race. We would run over to them and assess them,” Wekesser said. “One runner was laying on the ground on his back and his whole legs were cramping everywhere. So we were there trying to help him breathe through it and give him some tips, so he could get through those cramps. Then we helped him walk out of the finish line area.”

For UIC students, it’s invaluable hands-on experience, she said. 

“It was a lot of on-the-spot, quick thinking,” Wekesser said. “It’s a high-pressure environment, but it’s an opportunity for them to use those critical-thinking skills and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to this experiential opportunity.”