For 2025, our Bank of America Chicago Marathon training journey powered by Nike Running features a story and experience rooted deeply in Chicago, one that honors its community, culture, and spirit. But we also want it to resonate on a broad human level, tapping into emotions that transcend geography. (Get the plan here.)
Music does that—especially House music, which was born in Chicago just over 40 years ago.
House music emerged in the 1980s as an act of resistance, release, and rebirth. It created space for Black, queer, and other marginalized communities to feel free and move toward joy.
On the dance floor “Take Me Higher” was both a promise and a plea. A promise that music could uplift you, and a plea from those yearning to be lifted—out of heartbreak, out of exhaustion, out from under the weight of whatever they were carrying.
That duality reminds us how joy and longing often live side by side; how we dance and run not just because we feel good, but sometimes because we need to feel good.
In house music: the rhythm moves you. Your body responds instinctively to the DJ, to the crowd, to the beat. In marathon training: the rhythm becomes you. You’re no longer just reacting to rhythm, you're creating it through your own breath, foot strike, pace, and mindset. Your movement is the music.
This training journey is your path upward—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Every mile takes you closer to a version of yourself that once felt out of reach.
For us going higher isn’t just about speed.
It’s about how far you’re willing to rise.
It’s about showing up for yourself, and your community.
“TAKE ME HIGHER” isn’t just something you say:
it’s something you do,
YOU TAKE YOURSELF THERE.
Here's the evolving sounds of TAKE ME HIGHER | Chicagao 2025.