Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago and Its Award-Winning Water Station
A director at UBS Chicago, Timothy “Tim” Shields, earned his MBA at Stanford University. A dedicated runner outside of his work at UBS, Tim Shields is an active member of Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago. Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago is a running and walking club that meets every Saturday and Tuesday, rain or shine, at Lincoln Park. After their run or walk, members usually have a meal in a nearby restaurant. The club is part of International Front Runners, a global affiliation of LGBT running/walking clubs. Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago is well known for its Chicago Marathon aid station, which it began manning in 1988. The Chicago Marathon Press and marathoners awarded the club recognition as Best Water Station for 10 years, until organizers stopped giving the award. Every year, the club chooses a theme, which includes three stages, decorations, costumes, dancing, and music. Situated in the Boystown neighborhood at mile eight of the marathon, the club’s station is the race’s biggest water stop. In a 2015 write-up in Runner’s World, club representatives noted that the larger goal of the club’s highly visible water stop is to encourage acceptance and inclusion.