Once again the members of the York Radio Club assisted with the running of the 2014  Chicago Marathon.  There were over 40,000 runners and thousands of volunteers dealing with a multitude of tasks.  Our responsibility was to support the medical staff within Aid Station #20 located at 18th Street and Michigan Avenue. Amateur radio continues to play an important role in this world-class sporting event.

AS20 is the final “numbered” aid station along the course positioned one mile from the finish line.  Runners are generally exhausted from the duration of the race at this point but fiercely committed to finishing despite the complaints from their bodies. The medial team is here to ensure the safety and well being of the participants.

There were over 100 ham operators helping with the event in numerous roles. Aid Station 20 was operated by the following volunteers:

Kate KC9IQF
Neil KB9VMR
Geoff KA9QGH
Nick KC9WPR
Steve N9ZE

Station setup starts early in the morning well before 5:00am. The various nets typically shut down around 3:30pm which makes for a long day of operating. Good planning and preparation is vital in making this work. Thank you to everyone that helped make this day a success.

More photos will be added to the gallery.