38,000 people
One of the things I love best about running races is the sheer number of people. It's that good feeling that social proof gives you, the power in numbers. At the start of Chicago, Jenny and I marveled at 40,000 people, and what it felt like to be part of that. And then Jenny remarked that it was the same number of people who died in the earthquake in South Asia, just a few days before the marathon.
I didn't believe her. Have you ever stood in a crowd of 40,000? According to the NY Times today, the death toll from the earthquake is 38,000.