 In 2007 Bank of America acquired LaSalle Bank 's parent company ABN AMRO North America in 2007 and assumed the races title sponsorship . The 2007 race made history with the first ever CEO Marathon Challenge . The race featured a special competition among the CEOs , presidents , company owners and c @-@ suite executives of companies with at least $ 5 million in annual gross revenue ( $ 2 @.@ 5 million for women ) . The 2007 race also made history for having three ( men 's , women 's & men 's wheelchair ) of its four races decided in the final 100 meters in a day of record setting heat . The race was partially shut down early ( after three and a half hours ) as temperatures rose to an unseasonably hot 88 ° F ( 31 ° C ) , which surpassed both the temperature records for the Chicago Marathon and official Chicago records for October 7 . Over 10 @,@ 000 registrants chose not to run in the record temperatures , while 10 @,@ 934 people did not finish ( many were called after the course closed early for safety ) . One runner died , over 30 were hospitalized , and over 400 others sought medical attention . Marathon owner and sponsor Bank of America , which had just acquired LaSalle Bank , has denied culpability . Similar hot conditions have been experienced in other city centre races . In London in 2003 The British 10K also had extremely hot weather that affected many runners . 
