Abbott Celebrates Living Fully Through the Power of Health as an Official Sponsor of the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In its second year as an Official Sponsor of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) will again demonstrate its commitment to helping people achieve their goals through good health. From experienced runners and wheelchair racers to first-time participants, marathons prove that when people are at their healthiest, they can do more, achieve more and experience more in life.

Abbott's sponsorship of the 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which takes place in the global healthcare company's hometown, complements its title sponsorship of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM). Since announcing its AWMM sponsorship at the same race last year, Abbott has celebrated and supported tens of thousands of marathon participants at the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon, the Virgin Money London Marathon and the BMW Berlin-Marathon. Next month, Abbott will celebrate people living active, healthy lives at the TCS New York City Marathon – the sixth iconic race in the AWMM series.

This year, Abbott will again be the title sponsor of the pre-race Abbott Health & Fitness Expo where they'll invite the expected 140,000 runners and supporters to its booth to describe what living fully means to them.  All over the world, people have their own ideas about how this looks and feels. But there's one thing they have in common: they each want to live the best life they can. Abbott is asking a million people to share their stories, and at the Expo participants will have the chance to take part in interactive quizzes and other experiences to express what they do to become their best possible selves. Find out more at www.lifetothefullest.abbott.

Those who participate at the Abbott booth by taking a quiz will be entered for a chance to win a free entry to the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. In addition, at 1 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 9, Abbott will host an on-stage presentation, featuring record-breaking marathoner and former Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson plus Abbott neurologist and dietitian Dr. Beth McQuiston. The duo will talk about the mental and physical aspects of training for and racing a marathon, and how participants can use the experience as a tool to live a full life.

For the thousands of registered participants – including approximately 30 Abbott employees from around the world – Abbott will again have a high-energy "Cheer Zone," just as it did at the 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and earlier this year in Tokyo, London and Berlin, where Abbott also has large employee bases. Abbott employees and families will come out by the hundreds to cheer people on at mile 25 and celebrate what people can do through their best health and the right will and determination.

As title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, Abbott is encouraging the sharing of health "best practices" among the six iconic races that make up the series. At the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Abbott will provide portable blood analysis systems called the i-STAT^®, which perform commonly ordered blood tests – such as those for checking heart function or monitoring physical exertion – within minutes and empowers the marathon medical staff to administer care onsite.

"Marathoners bring to life the idea that when people are at their healthiest, they can tap their potential and achieve remarkable things," said Elaine Leavenworth, senior vice president, chief marketing and external affairs officer at Abbott.

"Through our partnership with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, we're thrilled to celebrate all the participants, who are dedicated to preparing their minds and bodies to accomplish such an amazing feat."

"We are inspired by the thousands of people who train for and participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. They are extremely driven to reach a personal goal, which is anchored in the power of living a healthy life," said Carey Pinkowski, executive race director, Bank of America Chicago Marathon. "As a company committed to healthy living and with deep Chicago roots, Abbott is an ideal partner."

About Abbott:
At Abbott, we're committed to helping you live your best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world—in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals—that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 73,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

About Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 38th year, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes thousands of runners from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a world-class elite field, top regional and masters runners, race veterans, debut marathoners and charity runners. The race's iconic course takes runners through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and cultural tour of Chicago. In 2014, an estimated 1.7 million spectators lined the streets cheering on a record 40,659 runners from the start line to the final stretch down Columbus Drive. As a result of the race's national and international draw, the Chicago Marathon assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes while generating $253 million in annual economic impact to its host city. The 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. In advance of the race, a two-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com. Visit the Bank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news.

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