Sweat charity

The city's just shrugging off a particularly tenacious winter, so October's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon might seem a lifetime away. Fact is, the time to start training is now.

Most newcomers looking to take on the challenge of sweating through the 26.2-mile trek simply pony up the $160 for the Chicago Area Runners Association's extensive training program.

There are other options, though: Many local and national charities, in exchange for helping them raise funds for their cause, will provide thorough marathon training. So not only will you get some help learning to run long distances, you'll also help a good cause (and accrue some serious good karma).

We selected a sampling of the 43 official marathon charities, to give you a sense of the groups that are out there, just waiting to help you collapse from exhaustion—but only after you've crossed the finish line.

Team in Training
The largest charitable endurance-training program in the world, Team in Training (TNT) will prepare 500 people to tackle the foot-pounding, knee-straining course.

TNT raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, an organization that funds blood cancer research. Many participants sign up to honor someone who has been affected by leukemia, but others take part for the camaraderie.

"Our demographics range from people in their twenties to their fifties," says Scott Stein, campaign coordinator for the group's Illinois chapter. "People make friends, and it's a great social activity."
The fine print: Participants must raise a minimum of $1,500 to earn an impressive array of benefits. TNT members receive guaranteed entry into the marathon, even if it sells out. TNT attendees also get other perks, such as individualized training, group runs, seminars on injury prevention and nutrition, and even proper shoe selection.

Team Tiara
According to triathlete Molly Barker, the founder of Girls on the Run, teenage girls who exercise have higher self-esteem, and so they're less likely to get pregnant, start using drugs or develop eating disorders. (Could be they're just too tired for that kind of nonsense, but we won't split hairs.)

Begun in 1996, GOTR has nearly 100 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, and it leads after-school training programs for girls ages 8 to 14, preparing them for a 5K race and along the way, slyly slipping in self-esteem–boosting lessons.

For the Chicago chapter, training adults for a marathon was a logical extension of its mission. "The women who started GOTR and the majority of its volunteers are runners," says Betsy Armstrong, the chapter's managing director. "When a girl goes through our program, it's the same experience a first-time marathoner has."
The fine print: Women who run—men are welcome, but they tend to blanch at the idea of sporting a sparkly pink tiara—are asked to raise at least $262 ($10 per mile). In exchange, they receive a discount on CARA training, fund-raising tips, monthly group runs, and a prerace pasta dinner and postrace party in the group's private tent.

National AIDS Marathon Training Program
"We are the most structured and organized training program in the city," boasts Mike Dilbeck, the program director of the Chicago chapter of the National AIDS Marathon Training Program. "We can train anyone to run a marathon."

The program employs a unique combination of running and walking, and runners train for longer than most other programs—nearly a full six months. The training for the Chicago marathon has already begun, so the group is only accepting those who have at least some running experience.
The fine print: Participants are asked to raise $1,300 for the half marathon and $1,400 for the full marathon. The money benefits the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, a local HIV/AIDS advocacy group.

Pink Streak
Y-ME, a national organization with Chicago roots, provides support to people living with breast cancer. The charity runs a 24-hour informational hotline, staffed by cancer survivors. It also provides a wig and prosthetics salon, as well as support groups for breast cancer sufferers, their friends and family.

In its third year, Pink Streak, Y-ME Illinois' training program, hopes to coach 100 people.

Karen Greenberg, special events coordinator for Y-ME Illinois, sees a connection between endurance training and battling a ravaging disease.

"It's for anyone who understands how devastating breast cancer can be and how hard it can be on a person's body," she says. "Going through the program is a way to show a loved one that you're up for a physical challenge as well."
The fine print: Runners must raise at least $750. Participants receive free training from CARA, a summer's worth of social and educational programs, a prerace pasta dinner, and access to the group's private tent, where they can treat themselves to postrace massages.

For a complete list of marathon charities, visit www.timeoutchicago.com/marathon.