CHICAGO — On Sunday, October 8, Milk (yes, real dairy milk) is offering free rides on the CTA Red Line so all of Chicago (and those visiting!) can cheer on this year’s marathon runners. As part of Milk’s 26.2 Gonna Need Milk campaign, Milk is committed to sponsoring every woman running – and sponsorship means support. CTA’s Red Line is one of the easiest ways spectators can follow and cheer on their friends and family along the racecourse – and Milk is making cheering accessible to all.
The 26.2 campaign is a nationwide program of support and a commitment to sponsor female marathon runners – putting incredible, real women and their stories in the spotlight. Milk’s Chicago presence marks a continuation of the program’s sponsorship tour, which started last year in New York and has continued to expand into a community of more than 8,000 Team Milk runners. This coming marathon weekend, Milk will be on the ground in Chicago with dedicated resources for #TeamMilk women runners from the expo to the race to recovery – in addition to the Red Line buyout.
Female runners can sign up to be a part of #TeamMilk to receive exclusive access to female-centric marathon training, recovery, and nutrition tips from leading experts, custom gear, and access to a growing community of women runners. #TeamMilk runners will also receive dedicated marathon recovery support at Milk’s Recovery Lounge after the race where they can relax and recover with compression boots and stretching experts from Amanda Boike Fitness, refuel with local Chicago DJ, DJ Chava, easily reunite with friends and family while repairing and rebuilding their muscles with Kemps chocolate milk – a Chicago staple. To help get our Team Milk runners home after accomplishing such an incredible feat, Milk is also providing complimentary rides from the Recovery Lounge.
To keep motivation high, the #TeamMilk cheer squad is also taking over a notoriously quiet portion of the course on the Cermak Road Bridge before mile marker 21 to help motivate runners to push through the last 5 miles of the race – a leg that has traditionally proven to be the most difficult. Milk wants to be there when it matters most.
But perhaps most importantly, Milk remains steadfast in their commitment to not only spotlight and support women running this weekend but inspire and encourage the next generation. For every woman that signs up for #TeamMilk, Milk will make a donation (up to $1,000,000 USD) to Girls on the Run, an organization dedicated to empowering girls through running and physical activity, through Milk’s ‘Every. Woman. Sponsored’ fund. Your run supports her run.
“Runners thrive when they have a strong support system, community, and nutrition. That’s why Milk is committed to supporting women along every step of their marathon journey. Dairy milk’s nutritional benefits help support her body during marathon training and recovery and the 26.2 program provides much needed sponsorship and community support,” said MilkPEP CEO Yin Woon Rani. “Chicago is a unique marathon since it starts and ends in the same location and spectators can easily follow and cheer on their runners along the route on the CTA Red Line. We wanted to take our support one step further in Chicago and help get as many people out to support the runners as possible by offering free rides on race day!”
Milk is covering all fares for those traveling CTA’s Red Line on Sunday, October 8, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. The CTA Red Line provides 24-hour train service between Howard on the North Side and 95th/Dan Ryan on the South Side via subway through downtown Chicago.
Did you know that dairy milk is an excellent nutritional partner for both marathon training and recovery? Milk’s nutrition can help provide sustained energy that fuels your run and can help repair and rebuild muscles, rehydrate, and help prevent next day muscle soreness. To learn more about Milk’s benefits for runners, #TeamMilk or to sign up, please visit gonnaneedmilk.com/26.2 or stop by Milk’s 26.2 booth after bib pick ups at the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center from Thursday, October 5 through Saturday, October 7, 2023.
Good luck runners!
About the Milk Processor Education Program
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation’s milk companies, and dedicated to educating consumers and increasing consumption of fluid milk. For more information, visit MilkPEP.org.
About Girls on the Run
Founded in 1996 with 13 girls, Girls on the Run, an international nonprofit organization, has now served over 2.25 million girls. Over the course of the program, girls in 3rd-8th grade develop essential social, emotional and physical skills to successfully navigate life experiences. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K event. With the largest 5K series by number of events in the world, Girls on the Run hosts more than 330 5Ks per year. Girls on the Run is included as a top research-based program in a Social-Emotional Learning Guide developed by researchers at Harvard University and has been recognized by the National Afterschool Association (NAA) as one of the most influential after-school programs. Visit www.girlsontherun.org to learn how to get involved in your community.
