Photos: Yorkvillians Take on the Chicago Marathon

A handful of readers mentioned that they or loved ones ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

The 34th event saw 35,628 participants cross the finish line in Grant Park, making it the second largest marathon in its history, according to a news release from event organizers. One of the major news stories from the event was about a North Carolina firefighter who collapsed and died about 500 yards from the finish line - but several participants had much less dramatic experiences at the race.

Yorkville Patch reader Sammi Hennesy wrote that the crowds downtown were manageable.

"For the amount of people they say was there, it didn't not feel that crowded," Hennesy wrote on Yorkville Patch's Facebook Page. "Only in a few places was is crazy. My sister and brother-in-law ran; it was her 1st and his 10th, and they finished in 6 hours. I'm so proud of both of them!"

cross country team also volunteered at the finish line, handing out Gatorade.

Thanks to Pam Taylor and Crystal Rutherford for sharing race photographs. If any other readers have photographs to share, please e-mail them to jillian.duchnowski@patch.com.