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Auctioneer reflects on winning Chicago Marathon at 15 years old

Laura Michalek passing the previous winner in the 1979 Chicago Marathon.
Courtesy of Laura Michalek
Laura Michalek passing the previous winner in the 1979 Chicago Marathon.

This story originally aired on May 25, 2019.
 

Laura Michalek is an auctioneer. She lives in Tacoma and does mostly fundraising work, and she’s been at it for a couple of decades.

But this story is about one of the first times Laura was in the spotlight, and it actually comes way before her auctioneer career.

This all starts in the year 1979. Laura’s in high school in Berwyn, Illinois — just outside Chicago. And she’s running on the cross-country team.

There are a few numbers to pay attention to in this story: 15, Laura's age at the time; 26.2, the number of miles in the Chicago Marathon. And then there's three and one. Listen to the story to hear the importance of those numbers.  

Kevin Kniestedt is a journalist, host and producer who began his career at KNKX in 2003. Over his 17 years with the station, he worked as a full time jazz host, a news host and produced the weekly show Sound Effect. Kevin has conducted or produced hundreds of interviews, has won local and national awards for newscasts and commentary.
Gabriel Spitzer is a former KNKX reporter, producer and host who covered science and health and worked on the show Sound Effect.