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Monday, October 23, 2006

A classic slip and fall case

Picture_2_7 I love the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and have a lot of respect and affection for the officials who pull it off it every year, but they made a dumb mistake placing a slick, promotional decal  on the  pavement  just in front of the finish line on a moist Sunday morning.

Winner Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya hit one of those decals with his right foot just a stride away from breaking the ceremonial banner and it might as well have been a banana skin.  His feet came out from under him and his head hit the pavement as he slid through the finish line.

Picture_4_4 "He threw his weight back," said the WGN TV voice-over, one of several news accounts that seemed to want to apportion some of the blame to Cheruiyot. But a look at the video shows that any backwards motion he made was simply an attempt to catch his balance. (Tribune photos by Jose M. Osorio)

It was cold and misty, and race officials, realizing what had almost certainly caused the fall, acted quickly to remove the decals from the finish area.

Picture_5_5 Cheruiyot was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was treated for internal and external bleeding and was kept overnight for observation.

Let's hope it's just a nasty owwie and that Cheruiyot doesn't miss a day of training or lose a step on the course. It's not an exaggeration to say that such a fall could cause a fatal blow to the head.

But if it's worse, let's hope that Cheruiyot has a good lawyer and that, in any event, race officials make sure in the future that no effort to promote the race puts any runners at risk.

I didn't run this year -- my last marathon was in 2000 and I may now officially call it a career; this accident seems like a good excuse.  But news from the course is that Peter Sagal, Chicago-based host of a National Public Radio's syndicated "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!" game show, ran a blistering time of just under 3 hours and 21 minutes, qualifying him for the Boston Marathon.

News off the course is that Press Publications columnist Jack Zimmerman, who famously dueled me in the 1998 Chicago Marathon (and lost! Yessss!), didn't run this year, either. But he has just published a novel, "Gods of the Andes," and so, sentimental fool that I am, I spent Sunday reading it.

It's a wonderful, gritty tale set in Chicago in 1959. Jack is not a particularly fast runner, but he's a  local treasure.




Thanks for telling it like it is. The Chicago Marathon is a great event run by great people, but watching Carey Pinkowski's lame excuses at his news conference as to why Cheruiyot fell (he was exhausted, he hit the carpet) was aggravating. It is clear that he slipped on the banner and nothing else. Why would they have removed all the banners? I am just happy that he slid over the line, because I think they would have owed him the $125,000 winner's purse. I hope he has no long lasting injuries. So Carey, admit fault, don't use the banners and move on!!!

I watched the accident with dismay and surely hope LaSalle is footing the bill on the damages this poor man has incurred from that nasty fall. The culpability is surely theirs alome.

Perhaps it makes the case for reducing the role of the sponsor when it literally intrudes on the integrity of the race and the well-eing of the participants.

I agree it was stupid to have the decal there and it undoubtedly caused the fall. However, wouldn't necessarily attribute the internal bleeding to the fall. Doesn't that occasionally happen to marathoners because of the stress the race puts on the body?


What a shame that Cheruiyot was not even able to enjoy his victory.

And I'm curious. Have decals such as these been used in past marathons?

Although the decal more than likely caused the fall, I'm not sure this was really negligence on the part of marathon organizers.

On a CBS sports news segment (10:30-11pm) Sunday night, toward the very end of the broadcast there was an interview with 3 marathon officials, including the executive marathon director (a guy, but I forget his name). He mentioned that they've used these same decals for several years with no incident, pointing out that hundreds of thousands of people have crossed over them without falling (at a minimum, it's over 100k).

If the decals hadn't been there, would Cheruiyot have fallen? Probably not. But did race organizers know the risk they were taking and deliberately take that risk? Probably not. But I also suspect (and hope) that they won't be using the same kind of decals in future marathons!

The main article in the Sun-Times claims that thousands of runners crossed the same decal at the finish line.

It's plain to see from video that the decal was removed immediately after Cheruiyot slipped.

Very interesting how quick LaSalle was to try to cover their butts, and how readily many media outlets have assist them.

Good work, Eric!

The Chicago Marathon is a great event that encountered a problem. But, like most problems, people are unforetunately to blame. People, not great people but greedy people, who obviously lack common sense, are the cause of what happened Saturday. Its shocking the lengths that corporations will go to in order to push their brand name. I hope those people are at least ashamed of themselves.

Carey Pinkowski made a goof out of himself by denying LaSalle was the total blame for the 1st place male winner falling. The"decorating committee" should be fired for the decals on the ground. They probably never ran a race in their life, and where were the bosses at????

He deserves whatever a lawyer can get him. He's owed an apology, his living expenses while he was here, his medical bills...and more. They really endangered his life and if someone from the race is seriously suggesting that it's partially the runner fault?! That's outrageous. Everyone and anyone who saw the footage (and how could you miss it, they seemed to enjoy the poor mans pain on this morning's news) could see that it would have happened to anyone. It's entirely the fault of whomever put that logo there in my opinion. It broke my heart to watch him go down like that.

Chicago Marathon's Executive Director, Carey Pinkowski blew it in the hot box yesterday. While he did express concern for the runner's well being, he showed zero concern for the truth. Find the tape and play it back; Pinkowski says the runner was "exhausted" and "collapsed." The runner clearly slipped on a vinyl advertisement. Who's fault is that?

In year's past, the race logo is usually PAINTED onto the pavement surface. This is obviously more expensive than laying down a printed plastic logo that looks good in the finish line photo (that virtually all finishers can buy). Since the street is closed from Friday until Sunday....back to the painted method.

I'm just glad they didn't try to take the first-place finish away from him. Talk about a crowning insult.

As you point out, this was a dumb mistake so let’s' encourage a law suit against the sponsors involved and reduce the $7,500,000. benefit amount raised for charitable purposes! Come on!


Is it true that personal injury attorney Peter Roskam has put his congressional campaign on hold in order to pursue this slip-and-fall case, or is that just a baseless rumor spread by anonymous Democratic bloggers?


typical dumba** chicago event where they pass the buck on fault .... just another reason why I hate this sucky city

First off, I seriously doubt that the decals at the finish were any more slippery than the THOUSANDS of street and lane markings throughout the course. From reading the first three posts it is obvious that NONE of you actually RAN the marathon. There were - and always will be - many hazards throughout the marathon when it is run on streets that are normally used for everyday traffic. Ranging anywhere from potholes & gravel to wet lane markings. Every runner was definitely watching their step yesterday from start to finish.

Having said that, it is obvious that the decals contributed to the slip and the officials removed them immediately after he fell. But, it is funny that none of the other elites fell while running over them. Let's not forget these are used at ALL major marathons and have never caused an issue prior to yesterday.

And, if you think that "Perhaps it makes the case for reducing the role of the sponsor when it literally intrudes on the integrity of the race and the well-eing of the participants.", you are nuts. Without the sponsors for all of the major marathons (especially LaSalle Bank here in Chicago), they would not be the truly overwhelming success that they are. We need them and for most runners we love having them involved. They truly make the race more enjoyable for everyone.

I am sorry that Cheruiyot received such serious injuries as he crossed the finish line, but removing the promotional seal after his fall was a mistake.

How else would one know that the Chicago Marathon is sponsored by LaSalle Bank? The bank does so little else to imbue its name or its brand in the promotion of the race. For example, the toilet paper in the port-a-johns did not have the LaSalle Bank logo on it. To me -- that was the real "slip up" of the day.

My sister and I were watching on TV while talking on the phone, when he fell, the first thing we said was "someone probably painted a promotional logo on the ground with paint, that's what caused him to fall". Its completely obvious that he slipped on something. What idiots to have a "decal" out there on the pavement. They deserve to be sued, that is acting with complete disregard for the safety of the runners. I guess the 50 million banners is not enough promotion? The sponsors should be absolutely mortified at their amazingly stupid decal.

Now you see why I hate flacks!
Pinkowski's bald faced lie was nothing short of appalling!
That decal on the street was slick & wet.
I see a lawsuit!

the big blunder by overzealous corporate types could have been more tragic..another case of advertising overkill.lasalle should be ashamed..jerry hager

What kills me is that an official blamed the runner, stating that he had just ran a race and runners occasionally fall, due to being tired. This was a clear case of whatyou said Eric, the slick decal.

I love this qoute from SI.com:


IDIOT !!!!

The runner should sue the pants off LaSalle Bank.

How could the dummies lay down a slick decal at the finish line, on a cold and drizzling day ???

Just goes to show you - GREED supercedes all in the banking business.

Nice plug for local author Jack Zimmerman. I'm a local author, too. Why not plug my novel, Hudson Lake, set in Chicago and Indiana in '26 and featuring jazz cornet man Bix Beiderbecke?

ZORN REPLY-- Because YOU never let me beat you in a marathon, that's why.

Let's face it - it was a freak accident. With all the preparation that Carey Pinkowski and his team of organizers do to put on a perfect marathon (every year and I've run 10 of them)this year the weather was bad - windy, cold, wet and slippery. What happened to the winner is something that any race director would have nightmares about. I think Carey is upset enough at what happened. Give him a break!!! He made the Chicago Marathon the best marathon in the world.

ZORN REPLY -- I second what you say about Carey. He's a great guy and he's turned the marathon into a world-class event. I doubt he had anything to do wtih the decision to place those decals and I'm as sure as I can be about anything that he had no intention of putting any runner at risk.

Well, greed takes first place again. Everybody who is capable of even remotely understanding speach knew who sponsored the race. But is this good enough, NO. We have to have banners, placards, billboards, a sign on every tree, pole and pet. I am truly suprosed they did not people racing with the big signs you see people walk around with when a store closes. That way, if any runner or specator forgets, they can remember who sponsored what. The runner should sue, and sue big time. Greed can only be beat if people stand up and say enough.

Oh, by the way:


I agree with Ryan that most of the people posting here are not runners and have likely never run a race in their life.

Fact - the decal has been used for years

Fact - the decals are used at other major races

Fact - hundreds of thousands of runners have crossed over these decals in a variety of weather conditions.

Fact - the decal was ~ 2 or 3 feet long. There are COUNTLESS other more slippery obstacles on the marathon course including the yellow road lines, curbs and cups from aid stations that are thrown.

Actually, the biggest hazard runners face IMO is the fans who try to cross the course by going directly straight across the street without consideration to those running the freaking race. Unlike other posters here I DID run yesterday and nearly got taken out twice by spectators. One person tried to cross without looking and another jumped into the road to take a picture of her frieds without thinking.

Bottom line is this ... he slipped. It was an accident. Why is it that as soon as something liek this happens everyone runs to the idea that someone needs to be held accountable?

Also, the monday morning quarterbacking loses some steam when you factor in that HE IS FINE. He was held overnight as a PRECAUTION. Carey Pinkowski, who happens to be an excellent race director, took approriate responsibility.

Having run the marathon a number of times I can tell say with confidence that the decals have been there for a long time and they are not slippery on their own. Having said that, TWO things contributed to his fall, rain and race flats (shoes). Elite runners almost always race in race flats which are very light weight running shoes with little to no traction (rubber = weight). Elite racers who run in these shoes know that they do not have good traction and should the weather change (be thankful it didn't snow) they need to be very careful.

Next year they might want to try hanging the banner from piano wire-neck high. This is a truly embarrasing moment in Chicago sports history. What idiots.

Organizers are culpable in this fall.

Money talks! Lasalle got their way with the decal.

ANY marathon "organizer" should've have seen this as a possible hazard.

The decision to further advertise LaSalle Bank at the finish is not what is at fault, nor is it totally the fault of the Bank (I don't work for them).
The fault is in the manufacture of the mats themselves. Were they not tested for cold, wet conditions? The mats need to be tested with actual runners using shoes marathoners wear in all conditions to determine whether or not the mats pose a safety hazard to the runners. Although Lasalle (or more properly, their publicity or marketing arm) ordered the mats (and therefore, probably hold some blame), whoever manufactured the mats also needs to answer some questions.

Of course, hypocrisy wins, the mats didn't do it, but let's remove them anyway, which, of course, immediatly admits some fault.

Dave K
Lisle, IL

I'm glad to see you say this. I was highly annoyed watching the Chicago Marathon Exec. Director blame the runner and state that marathoners fall all the time. He took no responsibility for the fact that the winner slipped and fell on the slick Chicago Marathon Decals. Rather than expressing concern for the winner, he immediately starting acting like a lawyer and placed the blame squarely on other party.

It is quite clear that not everybody has seen the same footage that I have. It was indeed Cheruiyot's weakness that was the issue - - he actually bounced off the tape at the finish line and he was trying to slide under it when he hit his head.

For those of you who say that hazards are always there, I ask, why? Like a world class runner should have to worry about tip-toeing across the finish line to avoid falling! Maybe they could put a slip n' slide at the finish next year! What was the point of having an advertisement on the ground in the first place?

It wasn't a freak accident. He wasn't struck by lightning. Someone was at fault. But I doubt the runner will sue anyone. First, a broad generalization, Africans don't turn to lawyers as quickly as Americans do. I'm thinking about a certain lost iPod.

Second, to protect their good name, LaSalle Bank will have to make everything right...assume all expenses resulting from the injury. Northwestern is a pretty good hospital, yeah?, but if it comes out of his pocket, Cheruiyot would probably burn through all of the prize money by about 4pm today. You have to be a little fanatical to run 26 miles...what kind of grudge do you think 35,000 runners will carry.

The bank has to have a team of people whose job it is to run damage control. Runner bangs his head, some executive does wrong, whatever...the standard technique is

1 Get in front of the story.

2 Show compassion

3 Make everything right...that is, $$$.

4 Announce changes to prevent future mishaps.

ps - hey marty - get a freaking life. If you are that upset over an ACCIDENT that you want to boycott a bank, I think you have far bigger issues to deal with.

About the decals, it's not clear that they alone would have caused the fall were it a dry day. However, when you add trace amounts of water to a material like vinyl, the effect on a flat surface (the sole of a shoe for example) passing over it will be quite dramatic. It's going to be just like a slip & slide or 'black ice'. It's understandable that race officials might not have considered this combination of factors to be problematic when they deployed the decals, but to try and gloss over the problem afterwards by blaming the victim is inexcusable. The runner OBVIOUSLY slipped. If he had collapsed, he would have fallen forward or maybe on his side, probably landing on his knees at some point. In reality, inertia clearly carried his legs forward while his heavier upper body acted as a fulcrum, whipping his head towards the ground.

Also something that's been mentioned less often was the poor sportsmanship shown by the second place finisher, who kept trying to assert that he was somehow robbed of his rightful victory. Really low class.

OK, many people here are suggesting that the logo mats not be used. A better suggestion might be to use logo mats that are not slippery at all. Maybe the same material as the timing mats.

Anyone saying this was about the sponsor's greed is just uninformed. I'd understand that comment if it was a decal of the sponsor logo, but if you look at the photo's, it's the race logo, not the bank. The bank (not my employer or bank), has done a remarkable job of supporting this race for several years. They should be applauded for what they've done, not chastised for something (the decal) they surely knew nothing about.

Stop the lawsuit talk. Our society is lawsuit-happy enough as it is. LaSalle Bank puts up more money than you could imagine to successfully pull off this enormous event, they can advertise as much as they'd like.

As a few knowledgeable posters have noted, this is not the only marathon to use these decals and it's not the first time they've been used in Chicago. It was an accident.

I have heard many nice things about Carey Pinkowski and the top-shelf job he does with the marathon, which has stimulated mucho positive worldwide publicity for Chicago over the years. I'm sure that if he had anticipated such an occurence, the slick decal would have not been used.

I also have seen the wonderful things LaSalle Bank has done for the community over the years. There is hardly a credible charity in the area that hasn't somehow benefitted from LaSalle's generousity, and that of Norm Bobins, LB 's president and CEO.

I am very familiar with the LaSalle Bank Open golf tournament -- the bank has gone to great lengths to turn this into an affordable, family-oriented event and in five short years it has become a "major" on the Nationwide Tour.

So with all that in mind, I think some of the above comments -- obviously written from a viewpoint of total ignorance -- are shameful in the way they treat LaSalle Bank. But to those people I say 'enjoy kicking LaSalle when it's down, because you don't get many opportunities to do so. Not at all.'

Phil The K

If I'm ever asked why I haven't run a marathon, I now have my excuse: I could fall at the finish line.

Hmmm, let's not be too hard on LaSalle Bank. There are so few local banks these days...and who else would spend time and money to sponsor this event? First Chicago? Marshall Field's?(okday not a bank)

It's so refreshing to see so many readers wishing ill on the city, on the organizers and on greedy banks. Wow.

I am with the minority here that can see none of the above writers ran or have ever run a marathon.

The decal has nothing to do with greed - or idiocy. When you run through an aid station, there are hundreds of smashed Gatorade and Hinkley and Schmidt water cups soaking wet and under foot. They do what they can to clean it up but I would guess many a seasoned runner has wiped out on one or two in their time or slipped on some banana peels at mile 20.

Accidents happen and the conditions were ripe for him to slip - even the racing flats which no coach potato like those above would have a clue about.

I'd go so far as to say it is inappropriate for Zorn to criticize the use of this decal. For an event 29 years old, they have it down to a beautiful science yet one thing like this and people are anxious to condemn and rip it down.

If this racer has any class, he will NOT sue. Only greedy Chicagoans would do that. He entered the race knowing the risks - hypothermia, dehydration, etc. Slipping is one of those risks. Unfortunate but no one is to blame. Case closed.

Wow, so much vitriol out here -- it's rare when Bruce sounds like middle-of-the-pack resonable. Nobody loves a bank, indeed.

It souns like the race organizers are already doing a lot -- and that the slip was a combination of a bunch of factors. You can't always plan an event based on a worst-case scenario. But you can bet that there will not be those decals on the line again, whomever the sponsor is.

Oh, and james, if being here is so bad, Indiana is THAT way.

ps part 2 - Hey Sancho, I am one of the 35,000 people you describe as 'fanatical'. And after running I didn't hold a grudge against anyone. I was thrilled to have accomplished something. Perhaps one day when you've stepped up to the challenge and trained for/completed a marathon, you will understand.

The only feelings I have towards LaSalle are ones of gratitude for organizing the race (LaSalle isn't just the title sponsor ... they own the marathon and a run/organize the event).

I find it really funny to read through these posts when clearly with the exception of ryan, most of you spent yesterday warm and comfy on your couch instead of out running 26.2 miles with the rest of us.

The other thing to keep in mind is that even if he wanted to sue (which I'm willing to bet he does not), the waiver one signs when they register for a race like this, covers a scenario such as what happened yesterday.

For anyone that has run a race or finished this marathon, the finisher's matt is to signify the glorious finish - hence "finish line".

I've run this marathon dozens of times and when I came through yesterday, I thought, "Hmmm, where's the finish line banner? Just a brown matt covering the timing chip wires? That's cheap..."

For a moment or two I wasn't even sure if I had crossed officially or not.

Could they have used better materials? That's not my place to say, I'm not in that business.

As for the guy who wonders what the dangers are to the elites? Do you think this is a walk in the park? I guess if he failed to win because he started to get hypothermia he could sue the organizers for pushing the even so far into October when they normally hold it earlier in the month. No one is to blame. You run the race, you accept the risks.

Regarding the Marathon fall, I did run the entire 26.2 miles and I also nearly fell due to spectators crossing the streets, moms pushing baby strollers, crossing the grated bridges and running thru the roads strewn with cups and Gatorade which can be quite slippery to boot. It is a shame the winner had this misfortune, however, all competitors have numerous obstacles to overcome. These ads are used at most of the major marathons and I can assume that yesterdays weather took away a bit of the traction. Mr. Pinkowski is a great director and should be thanked by all who competed and observed this event.

If I was the 2nd place runner I would have picked up the winner and put him across the line into 1st place and then waited for the advertizing dollars to come in.

Thank you for writing on this! Man, did this set me off. You don't set a booby trap at a line that is calling out to one's very soul, "COME TO ME!" After running 26.2 miles, the body needs to start to cool down, immediately; the physical strain of a marathon often leads to internal bleeding. The victor here, instead of getting a well deserved cool-down, got immediate head trauma. I have no idea how suffering that in his physically depleted state will affect his longterm health but, man, bad, bad, bad. Even my 6-year-old daughter, after I told her what happened, got it, and protested, vehemently, and rightfully, "That's not fair!" It's not. It's just not. And I am Len O'Connor.

Why does every accident have to have a villain, and why is the villain's fault always so egregious to require capital punishment. Stuff sometimes just happens. We can always find some perceived outrageous stupidity or venal motive, but I doubt this is anything more than just bad luck. If the day to day conduct of each one of us was judged by this standard, we'd ever leave the house. People make mistakes. Let it go.

If you runners want a marathon to really be a marathon then you should run it the way the first guy did. 26.2 miles wearing a full suit of armor and barefoot.
That should separate the men from the boys or the women from the girls.

Brett -

You missed my point entirely. I was praising the fanatical dedication it takes to train for and run a marathon. I'm saying that LaSalle has to do the right thing in order to protect the relationship it has established with the running community and the city. The bank wouldn't want any negatives vibes associated with the race or their name. There's clearly a right thing for them to do here.

Imagine if Starbucks was revealed to be exploiting child workers in Mexico. It's millions of "fanatical" consumers would have a strong reaction.

Same with the bank.

I haven't seen the waiver, I was too busy sipping cocoa and watching "Buffy" to run the race, but I bet it's meant to cover people keeling over dead from a heart attack and not what actually happened.

Anyway, congrats on running, but try to sound a lilttle less pompous about your achievement.

Water + Decal = "Slip & Slide"

I feel SO bad for Cheruiyot. To run an incredible race like that, outsprinting a guy in the last 200 meters, and then be knocked out cold as you're coasting across the line, and have internal bleeding and spend the night in the hospital....Jesus, that's horrible. I've never heard anything negative about Pinkowski before now, but he handled the situation very badly. And to those who there were identical logo decals all over the course, you're full of it. If that were the case, there would have been dozens if hundreds of runners slipping and falling throughout the race. As someone who once fell hard on black ice at the very end of a 23 mile training run, I can empathize I little bit with the winner, but god that really must have been a horrible experience for him. The race officials are 100% to blame for what happened and if they don't step up and make things right by Mr. Cheruiyot, he has every right to sue.

Hey Bruce, you wrote "he actually bounced off the tape at the finish line"

I had no idea that the tape was made of fiberglass strapping tape!

C'mon, who puts a friggin' "slip-n-slide" at the finish line of a race?

What kind of moron puts a plastic tarp down on a rainy day. Any 4 year old with a slip-and-slide can tell you what happens when you put water on a plastic sheet. Let's just hope it doesnt cost the city so much that this is the last Chicago marathon ever held.

You are correct that LaSalle should do the right thing. My guess is that they already are...Carey, Norm and everyone over at LaSalle involved with the Marathon are truly good people.

Mr. Zorn,
As you can see from the above comments there are two camps:
1. Those that ran yesterday or are runners and get the fact that accidents do happen
2. Those that did NOT run yesterday or are NOT runners that just want to sue and make right an egregious error made by this greedy evil empire called LaSalle Bank

For those of us in Camp 1, we understand what LaSalle Bank has done not only for the marathon, but for all of running in Chicago and for all of Chicago for that matter. As one poster points out, they are truly involved in the community way beyond just the marathon. I don’t want to speak for all runners out there, but I want to keep LaSalle Bank as involved as possible in the running community here in Chicago.

To write an article like the one above and only present one side and not give credit where credit is due is just not correct (please don't refer to "I love the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and have a lot of respect and affection for the officials who pull it off it every year" because you certainly didn't present any reasons after that). What you have done is highlight the one thing that could potentially bring a negative light on the marathon and LaSalle Bank and completely left out all the positives that they both bring to our great city. But, I guess with over 50 posts now, you are generating interest and doing your job...

Everyone can be an idiot and make stupid mistakes. The other day I was concerned my car might be running to hot so I opened the radiator to see and guess what happened. I am the first one to call myself an idiot and vow never to make that mistake again.

What bothers me is someone not taking the responsibility for doing something incorrect. If the organizers said "boy we screwed up and it won't happen again" I would say, your right and move on. Learn from the mistake and yes you guys were idiots but so can we all be.

Here it appears they decided to CYA while they hastily removed the booby trap. Not to professional, but very Chicago.

I see this tragedy not as a "slip" or "fall" but as a crime and an intended abuse by the management of the marathon and advertisers to diminish the accomplishments of these incredible runners. The focus should be on the achievement of the runners and not on the pretentious signage of the sponsors. I think this tragedy could be a catalyst to make the Chicago Marathon into a 100% "charity event" operated only by volunteers and a few paid managers... Sponsors and Marathon organizers should donate all proceeds to just causes such as children in Africa, etc....

Bruce, you made me laugh out loud! Thanks for that!

I blame him falling on his premature celebration. If he had run through the finish line with his arms down he would have created a lower center of gravity and maybe would have had a better chance of not hitting the deck the way he did. Instead, his arms were raised above his head before he crossed the finish line. Win first, celebrate second.

O.K. Let's hear it.

As of 3:47 EDT I can find no news that Cheruiyot has been released from Northwestern Hospital.

Race Directors should be aware ofthe hydroplaning
effect because they must pay attention to debris,used cups etc on the ground near the water stations. Let's hope Cheruiyot is fine and that race directors everywhere brainstorm with their crew how to make their courses safer.

I agree with A. Rogers. Cary put Chicago on the map for marathons, there is no denying it. Give him a break - it's been a wonderful public sporting event for a very long time, well run (sorry) and very well publicized - with the layers and layers of people doing everything from installing fences to keep people off the streets to making sure there are enough port-a-potties, one can't expect the race director to take the blame for something the weather brought on!

I hope the man who slipped and hit his head sues for every penny the organizers and sponsors have and wins. Of all the lame-butt things to do--"oh, let's put huge slippery vinyl decals right near the finish line...." What were those do-do heads thinking?

I've read some of the most ludicrous things in these postings. Someone said that they'd never bank at LaSalle Bank because of yesterday's event?...that's ridiculous. I'm sure LaSalle won't be sad. Carey Pinkowski is a very capable and widely respected guy and has been at this for a very long time and I guarantee he is sad and concerned. Don't place blame on him. An accident is just that, an accident.

On the replays he appeared to slow at the finish. The next runner ran through the finish line with ease. Had he not slowed, he might not have lost his balance. Nonetheless, the surface was clearly slippery.

$2 million dollars to the plantiff.... (Ooops, I'm getting ahead of myself. But that's exactly what the race organizers face for their blunder.)


Um, Marty, how will suing LaSalle Bank diminish what you believe to be the Bank's greed?

LaSalle is owned by a multi-national corporation that does business all over the world. Even if the runner were to sue and win money in excess of his actual damages, how would that change the bank's focus on making a profit?

I think what everyone fails to realize is that it was still cold and wet when the front runners were finishing the marathon.

The streets later dried when the sun started to come out but at the start of the race, it was still really wet.



As the sponsor of the race, LaSalle Bank is responsible for all aspects of the event. If they are ignorant enough to allow a decal on a wet day, I do not want them handling my money.

You should be wary of trying so hard to interpret people's motives. It only further reinforces your own shortcomings.

He signed a waiver just like everyone else.

This is really bad negligence that clearly
was THE cause of the injury -short & simple.

This stupidity is grounds for major major

I would FORCE the winner to accept about
$10 million and sincere apology.

Lucky they are that he did not die or have bad permanent disability.

People are lo-balling this because I think they just can't get out of a tight mental box.


Sancho ... mea culpa. I did miss your point and I didn't mean to come across like that. Apology extended.

It was an accident, and the race carries insurance for that very type of thing. And you can bet that the insurance carrier will not allow any slippery decals at future races here, or wherever else they provided insurance. A lesson learned the hard way, as most are. We should all pray for Mr. Cheruiyot's speedy and complete recovery and congratulate him on a fantastic race.

I agree with Eric. Dumb mistake. Really dumb.

I don't blame LaSalle. But, I do blame the race director, obsessed with marketing this race at the expense of runners. T Marathon decal is ubiquitous, tough to miss anywhere you look in the city. It's not about the runners, although that's what the campy promotional material would tell you. It's about pumping up the revenue and raising prize money to attract elite runners. You don't have 38,000 runners if it's about the runners, far too many for any practical treatment of people in such a limited time and space. I've run dozens of marathons, including this one on many occasions, but I refuse to run this anymore, as it now seems to be all about marketing and being in the "elite 5". May its complete disregard for the runners on the finish line, evidenced by a slick plastic banner placed right before the finish line, that any idiot would recognize as a hazard, spell doom as far as future elites running this race.

Next year why doesn't LaSalle just put a working windmill that everyone has to run under at the end to get to the finish line? It can't be any more dangerous than what they did to all the participants on Sunday and will also signify some company history!

First of all, this was an accident. Was the couse slick. Yes. Are racing flats slicker than dog sh*t in the rain, yes. Has this banner been used for years. Yes. Should the banner be made of the same material as the timing mat. Yes. I agree with krebs, Cheruiyot had his hands up to celebrate and slipped. It was an accident, enough said. As for all this talk of lawsuits and boycotting banks....I say.. get over it. I truly hope Cheruiyot recovers quickly and this doesn't hamper his training in anyway. Out of good faith, and fear of lawsuit, I'm sure the Chicago marathon has covered all of Cheruiyot's medical expenses. I've run over 15 marathons and hundreds of road races. Before every race, a runner has to sign a liability waiver form stating the race has no responsibility for any accident which may occur to a runner during the race. I'm no lawyer but it seems the marathon would be protected by a runner signing this waiver.

The fall was devastating to see. He obviously slipped because the decal was WET. Yes, they have used decals in the past but it wasn't wet outside. It does seem like someone would have common sense to realize plastic, vinyl or whatever the sign was made out of would be slippery when wet. It is extremely unfortunate that the head of the marathon bypassed taking any responsibility for misplacement of the banner.

If the runners injury is life long then I understand people wanting to sue. Why does sueing someone always come into context when someone is hurt? The guy has been through enough trauma. He's not even out of the hospital as of yet.

Accidents happen. Anyone that's run more than one organized run is aware of the hazards: from uneven pavement, rude runners in their world, slippery pavement from gels, water, cups and whatever else (yeah the banana peels at mile 22!) The biggest mistake was removing the logo-it's like admitting fault. We're a lawsuit happy nation - that's it bankrupt the organization sponsoring the run, it'll go down in history as the last Chicago Marathon. Sad day - but I'll bet Robert Cheruiyot has more class than that and admits it was an unfortunate accident, not negligence.

What is wrong with you sue-happy people? It obviously was an accident, and, as the responders who are runners indicated, the mats have been used many times without incident.
Is it a shame that it happended? - absolutely. Was the bank intentionally negligent? - certainly not. Thank goodness good corporate citizens continue to step up to the plate for philanthropy even though there are those of you out there ready to slap a lawsuit on them in a heartbeat. Shame on you.

I know that the city did a lot of work to remove any wet and slippy leaves from some areas of the route to make sure these were not slipping hazards.

I also recall an Olympic marathoner being harassed by a maniac fan in Greece a few years ago.

Who says freak accidents never happen? They do and that is why there is a show for bloops and blunders.

These decals or matts are used by marathons and races around the world - this wasn't a thing some organizer bought at Home Depot and slapped a logo on. I'm sure it has been through dozens and dozens of scenarios around the world - even rain.

Remember people - nothing man made is not accident prone - no matter how badly you want that to be the case.

Those who are so quick to criticize the marathon staff, organizers, and sponsors illustrate a lack of understanding about how these events are produced and run. There are thousands of details involved in producing a race of this magnitude. The fact that no one took a look at the decal on the ground (the likes of which have been used at many races for many years without incident) and foresaw the athlete's fall is not surprising. It was a mistake and one that I think was easy to make.
The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is well organized, well-staffed, and well-run. They made a mistake. One that I'm sure will not be repeated.
As for the whole "greedy promotion of sponsor" baloney that people are throwing around here - that's just dumb. Races can't exist without sponsorships and sponsors can't be secured without guarunteeing that their logo will be seen. Get rid of the sponsors, you get rid of the money, you get rid of the ability to provide necessary aspects of the race (medical teams, aid stations, etc.) and you end up with an even less safe race or no race at all.
I'm sure that type of logo won't be used again, but do you really blame corporate greed for a man who slips and falls? That's silly.

I've met Cary. He's a great guy. He's done great things for the Chicago marathon. But his #1 job is to make sure that the course is as safe as possible for the runners. He failed in that duty on Sunday.

It was a wet out, and they place a material that's basically identical to what a 'Slip & Slide' is made of, at the finish line. The video evidence of the finish is unequivocal. He slipped and fell on the banner.

To the 'accidents happen', and 'you've never run a marathon' crowd. I've run Chicago 5 times. I realize there are all sorts of slippery obstacles on the course. I saw a girl slip on a bridge grating and filet her knee right in front of me. But these sorts of obstacles are not removable. You can't sandblast off all of the lane markings. You can't pave all the bridge gratings.

ZORN REPLY -- Hey, Josh! As you know, I share your high regard for Carey Pinkowski.

It is however, possible to realize that wet plastic might be slippery, and remove it from the course.

I work for a company that produces vinyl graphics like the ones used at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. There is a non slip textured laminate that can be applied to the surface of the vinyl graphics that would greatly reduce the chance of an accident like this occuring - even if it's a rainy and wet day. The company who produced the graphics should have insisted that this laminate be used.

Was that REALLY Len O'Connor that posted earlier?

Now, that's what I call a comment.


I saw the fall when it happened. I knew exactly
what causes it. Slippery plastic or paint. I have heard and read many conflicting accounts of this incident, to where I thought there was a cover-up going on. I have had a brain injury, bleeding inside brain and outside. It is serious. He will be different for a long while. I read that he tripped over a golf cart. I read where it was a good thing that he fell forward.
I hope he is very well taken care of and that he
doesn't incur ANY expenses out of his pocket. God
Bless him as he recuperates.

As an aside, I find it amusing that the Tribune reviews this blog before posting "unfair attacks."

Is Eric Zorn's rage caused by the fact that he got turned away by LaSalle because his paltry journalist's salary wasn't enough to qualify him for a kiddie checking account? Just wondering...

ZORN REPLY -- Your rage-o-meter needs recalibration, Bubba.

I've run the last 10 Chicago marathons. Each year, as a condition to entry, I'm required to sign a form releasing the Marathon from any liability for anything happening to me.

I'm a middle of the pack "Joe six-pack" runner. I wonder if the Marathon requires its elite runners to sign similar releases. If so, would the Marathon use a signed release to defend itself in the event Mr. Cheruiyot decides to sue?

Just another case of corporate American wanting to get their name out there. I hope the Kenyan gets a good lawyer.

i am not a runner so i can't comment on any of the technical aspects of the race. but i am a doctor who routinely deals with the critically ill; and from that standpoint i can tell you (and brett) that from what little details the papers have reported, Mr. Cheruyiot, did sustain a potentially devastating brain injury. Most likely he sustained a subdural hematoma (?small brain contusion as well). Fortuneately for him it sounds as if it is very small and not getting any bigger. My point being - to Brett and anyone else: this was in no way a trivial injury.

according to race officials and in this newspaper, the paint that has been used in previous years and is, in fact, more slippery than the decal used in the last five years. and the same decals are used in many many races around the world with no incident. that said, it is sickening to me that the sponsors names are plastered EVERYWHERE in and around this marathon. although I dont think he should sue, hopefully LaSalle Bank will be scared and embarrassed enough to think about the effects that cold and rain have on runners an eliminate any possible thing that will make it more difficult for these runners to finish that race! he needs the 125K winnings to cover the three CT scans at Northwestern!

This entire board is a waste of space. La Salle bank did not organize the event. They sponsored it. To those wanting the bank sued- get a grip. To those like Marty advocating a boycott, get a brain. What does giving money to a race have to do with banking practices? Finally to everyone- if you want totally safe sporting evetns- just cancel sports. That is probably the only thing that will mollify the sue-happy people. Furthermore I have not seen one single person consider the possiblity that if asked by the race organizers, the sponsor might have agreed to have advertising placed elsewhere. Hey, now there's thought- find out what happened and who did what before placing blame! Oh, I forgot- this is America. Sue first and look for facts later.

Obviously the placement of the decal was a mistake - in hindsight of course. I think greater blame would lie with the organizers had they left the offending hazard in the road. However the heads-up offiicials removed it right away. I don't think there was foreseeable negligence ...

Yes, the decals were part of the equation... but what about Cheruiyot's choice of footwear? You can see plainly in the photos that the sole of his shoes are white. Look at your own running shoes and 99 times out of 100, the soles are black. Cheruiyot's racing shoes do not have rubber on the soles - they have EVA foam. They are extremely light and could probably only be used for one or two races... but they provide little to NO traction on anything other than a dry road surface. Rubber is placed on shoes to provide traction. Is Cheruiyot responsible for the risk he took in choosing a shoe that doesn't provide the safety of a rubber outsole, thus increasing the likelihood of a such a slip?

Why? Indeed, Why? Hahahahaha.
Who ever wrote:
"Bottom line is this ... he slipped. It was an accident. Why is it that as soon as something liek this happens everyone runs to the idea that someone needs to be held accountable?" gets the price for sheer idiocy.
Imagine the outrage! How dare you all even suggest that some one should be held accountable for an accident, specially a corporation?

I've run a marathon and a couple of half-marathons, and a few other distance races. If I remember right (and someone feel free to correct me), but you pretty much sign your rights to a lawsuit away when you register for these events, don't you? I remember for the SUZUKI Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego, there was a 3 page e-document that I had to hit "I accept" on, and I'm pretty sure the race organizers immunized themselves for every possible medical contingency.

I'm kinda in the middle on this, to be honest. I don't like the corporate "whoring" that is going on at some of these events, yet that sponsorship helps provide course support and other perks for the event. It also provides some annoyances, like the decals, and the inability to look anywhere without seeing a logo'd banner (plus, you get a bunch of corporate doofuses milling around, and frisbees and other crap with corporate logos on it).

In life, not every tragedy is suit-worthy. I can't sue the driver in front of me for making me late to a meeting, even though he was clearly at fault for the obstruction of egress through the streets. If I slip and fall in an athletic event, I can't sue someone for putting the event on, without at least assuming SOME of the risk for participating in that event. Anyone who thinks that they are going to run on the roads without risk of hazards is a complete moron. I've slipped and fell on stuff other than logo decals - the painted words and lines on city streets are slick in the wet...as slick as a logo. Would the race organizers have been responsible if Cheriuyot slipped on the painted white line in front of a stoplight? Surely they could have rerouted everyone to the sidewalk, or the other side of the street, right? Okay, maybe not. So why the furor over the decal? Because it's got to do with capitalism, I suppose?

I don't get it. LaSalle's sponsorship probably provides food, medical staff, and additional safety officers along the course, that without their dollars wouldn't be there for those who get hurt. Yet no one is going to cut LaSalle a break for the good they do for hundreds of runners....you'll just focus on the one runner for whom it went badly.

I do agree that there was some lack of forethought on this, and hopefully this mistake does not happen again. Clearly, this was a hazard, like many for those who run 26.2 miles at a time. For those of you who think this is worthy of boycotting LaSalle Bank, you're dumber than a box of rocks. But who cares...it's your money; you're entitled to use it as ignorantly as you wish. Maybe LaSalle will reward you all by not sponsoring the event next year, and then the runners can go without a medical tent every five miles. Surely that won't hurt anyone. Please God, free us from the corporate sponsorships that hinder our ability to put on a quality event.

I do think that the race should pay for all of Mr. Cheruiyot's injury-related medical expenses, and to get his immediate family to Chicago during his recovery. I would presume the event made enough money to cover this....

ZORN REPLY -- Any lawyers out there want to comment on the limits of such waivers?

I can't believe that some of you are actualy saying that Robert is at fault here or that this was just an accident and we should all just forget about it.

Yes, he probably signed a waiver. Yes, there are other dangers out on the course. Yes, he wore racing flats along with pretty much every other elite athlete out there.

But should he have to be concerned with landing on a wet plastic material as he crosses the finish line? Absolutely not. Someone is to blame here and if Robert is unable to return to work at the level he normally does then someone should be held accountable financially.

Lets hope the race organisers do the right thing, admit they were wrong and cover his hospital fees along with any lost income he might incur through no fault of his own.

And before any of you put me in the never run a marathon before group, I've run Barcelona, Dublin, Lisbon and London and NEVER come across anything as stupid as having a plastic sign across the finish line. Never.

Placing blame begs questions without end. Identifing why something happened aids in finding a solution. Chicago has the dynamic ability to make things happen and find a solution at the same time. It is not a perfect combination but the alternative is stifling. Think 2016 Olympics!

I'm no physician but the medical treatment Cheruiyot received at the finish seemed laughable. Scraping Cheruiyot off the pavement and walking him to a wheelchair was potentially disasterous. Any type of head or neck injury involving loss of consciousness requires immediate mobilization and transport via backboard. Moveover, an ambulance should have been brought in immediately and other finishers should have been directed away from the care givers. Although Pinkowski patting Cheruiyot on the head was kind of cute, it's evident the seriousness of his injury was underestimated.

While Cheruiyot is too much of a class act to sue, and Pinkowski is a good guy himself, I hope Pinkowski comes forward in the next few days and admits that my points are fundamentally correct.

I suppose Cheruiyot, after running 26 miles faster than anyone, should have alertly recognized the slippery logo and carefully maintained perfect balance as he raced across the finish line. Memo: exhausted marathon winners do silly things like slow down, throw their arms in the air and wear race slicks. Cheruiyot could have died from that fall. Signed waiver or not, the race organizers created a hazardous condition and were wise to remove their booby trap. Regarding the logos used in bad weather in past races, those may have been made of different materials and had better "coefficients of friction" when wet.

I just thought it was hilarious that some hacks ran to the starting line and pulled the decal banner away. I feel sorry for the runner. This incident has sports blooper written all over it.

To the poster who wrote: "most of the people posting here are not runners and have likely never run a race in their life":
1/ This is a pompous, condescending statement.
2/ It's simply not true.

Go to http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=1592549&page=12 and see if "real runners" agree with you. Well, many of them don't.

Like most people who commented here, many runners (including me) think Pinkowski should take his responsibility. Isn't he the race director, the man in charge?
While I am certain he did not want anybody to get injured, his team was obviously negligent, and, as the RD, he has to be held accountable. This is a very serious matter, as it might impact Cheruiyot's health, training, personal and professional life, perhaps in the long term.

At the very least, Pinkowski's reaction was very distasteful--implying that it was Cheruiyot's fault, and cheerfully declaring that the fall wasn't serious.
When will Pinkowski apologize, I wonder.

It seems to me that countless runners, swimmers, jogglers--yes, it doesn't matter if they don't run, theirs opinions count!--people, were much more concerned than the RD over Cheruiyot's health.

Pinkowski clearly didn't show any class this last couple of days.

Come on, the Chicago Marthon would not have placed the decal there if they knew that it would endanger anyone. It was an accident, plain and simple. The sue happy society we live in is horrible.

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