The race is held during celebrations of Saint Patrick's Day in the Chicago area.
For the first couple of decades, the number of participants and competitiveness of the field grew each year.
[1] In 1993, the race began offering prize money to the top finishers.
In 2010, the prize purse had grown to $14,500, offering $2,500, $2000, $1500, $1000, and $500 to the first 5 male and female finishers.
Since 2008, Bank of America has been the presenting sponsor Key: Course record Virtual Race [4][5]