Cross country members will be volunteering at the Chicago Marathon this Sunday , October 13.

Cross country members will be leaving at 3:30 AM on Sunday, October 13 to volunteer to distribute water at the first mile mark of the Chicago Marathon again.

“There are tables lined across the streets and our job is to fill the cups with water and hand them out to the runners,” Christina Eddleman, junior and cross country member, said. “We also clean up all the cups after the runners pass because there are a bunch of cups left on the ground. The runners drink from them and throw them on the ground afterwards. “

The students return at about 12 PM after the race has ended.  This is Eddleman’s third year volunteering and said she is very excited.

“I think we get to go because we get to watch amazing runners,” Eddleman said. “It’s a very fun experience and it’s kind of inspirational to see people running 26.2 miles. We only run three for a race, sometimes three point one. If they can run 26.2 miles, I figure I can do three.”

Besides seeing the participants, Eddleman said there are other reasons she loves giving up her Sunday to help out at the Marathon.

“I love going to downtown Chicago because I don’t go there very much, and I’ll be with my friends,” Eddleman said. “We set up the cups of water, then we usually go find some food. Then after that the race starts and we hand out water to runners. They pass pretty quickly because it’s the first mile. After we have like an hour and a half to walk around and see the finish. We kind of get to roam Chicago.”