3 min readMost runners avoid anything new on race day.
But for Ivette Garcia and Luis Tufino, one small detail differed for yesterday's Chicago Marathon. It was their first run—in fact, their first full day—as husband and wife.
The New York City runners were among 26 couples who got married Saturday in outdoor ceremonies at Chicago’s historic Wrigley Building, during an event dubbed Dash to the Altar. In each case, at least one spouse ran Sunday’s race.
It’s the third time organizers have conducted such nuptials at the iconic 100-year-old spot on Michigan Avenue—but the first time only runners were eligible, said Bradley Borowiec, vice president at realty company Zeller and general manager of the Wrigley Building.
Borowiec—a runner himself, who completed his tenth marathon yesterday—collaborated with race organizers on the event, in celebration of the marathon’s 45th running.
Wedding planning can feel even more daunting and time-consuming than long runs and speed work, Borowiec said—not to mention the expense. Those who were part of Dash to the Altar received a free ceremony, without having to fuss over any logistics.
“They have to do their own training for the marathon,” he said. But for the wedding, “all they have to do is show up.”
Couples applied for the honor; hundreds of requests poured in, Borowiec said. Garcia and Tufino were intrigued. “We basically saw an opportunity to be able to do two things that we both love, which is run a marathon and celebrate our love,” Garcia said.
The couple met in college, when neither were runners. During the early days of the pandemic, tired of being trapped in the house, Tufino began logging miles. Before long, Garcia started joining him. “From then on, we’ve been together running together challenging each other,” Tufino said. They completed their first marathon in New York last fall.
On a cool, breezy day less than a year later—perfect weather for marathoning and marrying, though Garcia worried a bit about her veil blowing away—the couple marched down a white aisle taped to the ground under the building’s grand archway. They then stood at one of four plexiglass podiums in front of a Cook County judge and said their vows.
Packing for a wedding was more stressful than for a marathon, the couple confirmed. After all, a wedding dress and tux don’t fit easily in a carry-on. (That’s a challenge nearly all the couples faced; only one was from Chicago, Borowiec said.)
Fortunately, all their baggage made it to Chicago. So did Tufino’s parents and, to their surprise, members of the Prospect Park Track Club, their running group back home. All of them whooped and clapped as Garcia and Tufino kissed and again during photos afterward, echoes of the cheers the couple would hear along the course the next day.
After the ceremony, Garcia ditched her high-heeled sandals so the two could rest, carb-load, and enjoy celebrating with their family. They started the race together, wearing bibs with “Just Married” provided by race organizers—and also finished in lockstep, in a time of 5:35.
But the honeymoon will have to wait. First, the couple will run the New York City Marathon again on Nov. 5. “That’ll be the main focus next,” Tufino said.
Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, a book about the psychology of sports injury from Bloomsbury Sport. Cindy specializes in covering injury prevention and recovery, everyday athletes accomplishing extraordinary things, and the active community in her beloved Chicago, where winter forges deep bonds between those brave enough to train through it.
