Welcome to the Chicago Athlete Express. Enjoy the read!

THE SCOOP
The first annual Starved Rock 50K in the Ottawa area has been canceled. The race had been scheduled for this Sunday. For information, call 312-375-9500.

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THE NEWS
The ING New York City Marathon will be run through the Big Apple's Five Boroughs on Sunday. A one-hour wrap-up will air in Chicago at 1 p.m. CST on NBC5 (WMAQ). There is no live national telecast. If you have friends in New York who will tape the race for you, it will be shown live there on WNBC (Ch. 4) from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. EST.

A piece of legislation that would restore bicyclists' rights on the roads of Illinois is expected to come up for a vote in Springfield during the first week of November. Illinois Senate Bill 275 would restore bicyclist rights and protections lost in the 1998 Boub v. Wayne State Supreme Court decision. For more information, please go to:
www.bikelib.org

Good running, good costumes and good fun were the order of the day on Sunday at the Charlie's Ale House Trick or Treat Runs in Lincoln Park. For photos, see:
www.chicagoaa.com/features/tricktreat03photos.html

And at the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival 10K, it was good sportsmanship that carried the day on a chilly morning in DeKalb County. For the story, visit:
www.chicagoaa.com/news/sycamore03final.html

Vertel's is closing its Michigan Avenue store as of Friday and consolidating its operations into its store on Clybourn Avenue. See our coverage here:
www.chicagoaa.com/news/vertelsclosestore03.html

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THE WEEKEND AHEAD
The Chicago 50/50 Ultramarathon tops the charts this week. The 50K and 50-mile runs are based from the 63rd St. Beach House on the south lakefront. Race time for the 50M is 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. The 50K starts at 8:30 a.m. Other top choices, all on Sunday, include the Chicago Area Mountain Bikers Poker Ride at Pulaski Woods West, the Gimme Shelter 5K in Chicago, the Adrenaline Rush 5K in Evanston and the Canal Connection 10K in Utica near Starved Rock. For the full schedule, visit:
www.chicagoaa.com/calendar/smu.html

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THE RESULTS
Like most weekends in the Chicago area, it was busy on the local event front. We've got a lot of results for you. Check them out at:
www.chicagoaa.com/results/searchable.html

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THE ADVENTURE BEAT
Gemini Adventures, a Colorado event management company, has announced the creation of the Desert R.A.T.S., a six-day, five stage, 148-mile adventure race between Fruita CO, and Moab, UT, starting Sept. 12. For more info, go to:
biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031017/phf008_1.html

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THE SURVEY
As we reported last week, the Chicago Distance Classic will be a half-marathon from now on instead of a 20K. What do you think? Which distance would you prefer for the oldest race in the city? Let us know by e-mailing your opinion to: editorial@chicagoaa.com, or by going to our Message Board at:
www.chicagoaa.com/cgi-bin/messageboard/view.pl

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THE REMINDER
The Illinois Prairie Path annual meeting is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Abbey Leisure Center, 407 W. St. Charles Rd., Elmhurst. Go to:
www.ipp.org

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THE CLOSER
Attention: Cross-country skiers and "I'm going to try XC skiing this year" runners, triathletes and cyclists. The entry fee for the Feb. 21 American Birkebeiner 51K goes from $70 to $80 on Saturday. For details, check out:
www.birkie.com