Lake Forest Man Prepares to Run First Marathon

As Bank of America’s Illinois president, Tim Maloney has attended Chicago marathons sponsored by his company.

“It’s just an electric experience,” he said.

This year, he’ll experience a different kind of charge when he’s among the 45,000 runners on the 26.2-mile route.

Maloney, of Lake Forest, said he decided in the spring to train for his first-ever marathon. 

“I was looking for a challenge,” he said. And, he added, “Obviously, the marathon is extremely important to Bank of America.” 

Maloney, 58, said he’s logged miles along Telegraph Road, Oak Knoll Drive Conway Road and Old Mill Road in recent months. When he travels, he hits the hotel treadmills, he said.

Building his stamina for the marathon, he said, “is not unlike running a business” in that it can be physically tiring and mentally challenging to work toward achieving a goal.

Maloney, who also serves as Central Division Executive U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, said he will be among 300 Bank of America employees in this year’s race.

“I want to complete it for myself. I want to complete it for my colleagues who know I’m doing this,” he said.

And, he said, he wants to complete the race for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Maloney serves on the organization’s board and he is raising money for it through his marathon participation.

“There’s no shortage of reasons why this will get done on Oct. 13,” he said.

“Part of the reason I feel inspired to get this done is to inspire others to run for United Way in the future,” he said. 

Maloney said he’s long worked with a personal trainer, but the only organized race he’s run as an adult was the 8K Shamrock Shuffle two years ago.

Two weeks ago, he completed the longest run— 20 miles — recommended in the marathon training plan.

With less than two weeks until race day, Maloney said he’s now in the taper period of his training, which requires shorter runs leading up to the marathon. 

“I think I’m as ready as I’m going to be,” he said.