Athletics: Gregory de Silva invited for Chicago Marathon

Gregory de Silva, a former member of the Sri Lanka Athletic National Selection Committee, United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Member and Certified Track and Field Judge, has been invited by the Committee of the Chicago Marathon to be held on October 7, in Chicago, Illionis, USA. 

Alongside the Boston, New York, London, Berlin and Tokyo marathons, it is one of the 6 World Marathon Majors. 

Thus, it is also an International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) certified Gold label race. 

Its primary sponsor is Bank of America since 2006. 

The race is limited to 45,000 runners and the USATF certified course record is held by Dennis Kimetto for Men, with a time of 2.03.45 hrs in 2013, and Paula Radcliff for Women, timed at 2.17.18 in 2002. 

The Chicago Marathon is run for local charity since 2007. 

A Health and Fitness Expo will be held at the famous McMormick Place and Gregory will volunteer to run the Information Desk on October 5, 6 to assist the runners. 

As a USATF member, he will attend its 40th Annual Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, to elect a nominee to the IAAF Council and/or any official position. 

Delegates have the responsibility to nominate the USATF representative to the IAAF Council, and present it to the IAAF for its 2019 elections. 

The Nominee, to be eligible as a candidate, should have the experience and expertise in that particular constituency. 

Further, he will attend to USATF Masters Track and Field and Masters LDR Committees, and conduct meetings during this time. 

Gregory is a nominated Masters Track and Field Awards subcommittee member, who is hard at work, sifting through performances over the last year, to decide on the Annual Athlete of the Year Award. 

He will also attend the implementation of the 2019 Masters events Calendar, Race Walk Clinic, Sports Drugs Supplements Forum and 'learn how to walk faster with less injury' discussion.