Anthony Rizzo is running the Chicago Marathon for the first time, on the tenth anniversary of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series title, in support of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation with a goal of raising a million dollars for pediatric cancer research.

We spoke with the former Cub and Yankee about his decision to run Chicago, the training and his hopes for Sunday’s race.

CHRIS: I'm joined by former Cubs legend and Yankee star Anthony Rizzo. First off, I'm a die-hard Yankee fan, so I want to thank you for your years of service with the team. And now on Sunday you get to add the title of Marathoner to your résumé. How real is that starting to feel?

ANTHONY: Very real, Chris. It's been a long journey of running — not something that comes naturally to me at all. I just can't wait for Sunday to be here and enjoy literally every step of the way.

CHRIS: First question: why? Why did you decide to sign up for the Chicago Marathon?

ANTHONY: My wife Emily ran New York in 2023. We lived right on First Avenue, right near mile 17, for anyone familiar with the course. Just how emotional that day is, how electric the atmosphere is — the first time we saw the runners, I made sure to get out early to see the professionals, and I was in awe of how fast they were moving. And then watching Emily train, the whole process was just inspiring to me. The discipline, the dedication it took.

Then there's the other piece: it's the 10th anniversary of winning the World Series in 2016. And I have the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, which is near and dear to my heart. I'm running on behalf of that. So ten years later, what better way to mark it than running a marathon? That was kind of the build-up to everything.

CHRIS: How did you convince Jake Arrieta to join you?

ANTHONY: Pitchers run a lot between starts as part of their conditioning, so he was already into it. I believe he ran the San Antonio Marathon last year. I asked a few other guys, but Jake said yes and I'm really excited to be running with him. I know he's pumped to set a new personal record, so it should be a blast.

CHRIS: Can you share a little about the foundation? You've got a whole team of charity bib runners racing too. What was the fundraising goal this year?

ANTHONY: As much money as we can raise. We want to get to a million dollars. Bank of America has been incredibly helpful, and what they do for all the charity efforts around the marathon is really something. I know last year they raised a record amount and they're on pace to break it again this year. It's awesome that so many people are running for a cause. Out of fifty-five thousand runners, so many of them have dedicated themselves to this and raised significant money for foundations that mean everything to them.

CHRIS: Do you have a personal time goal?

ANTHONY: Originally the goal — this was probably a little arrogant — was four hours. I trained for that and I think realistically it's closer to five. Although now that I'm in the taper I'm feeling really good, so who knows. I'm going to try to hold somewhere between nine-thirty and ten-thirty pace and see how long I can hold that. Under five hours would be ideal. Emily trained not knowing what she'd run and ended up running New York in three forty-seven, which was impressive. The 17 and 20-mile training runs — the week-after-week mental fortitude that took — was genuinely hard for me. But race day is different.

CHRIS: The atmosphere and adrenaline will help, but the tricky part is not going out too fast. Once you get out toward mile twenty-three on the south side it can get quiet. Managing your emotions early is everything.

ANTHONY: No doubt. Everything I've read says not to go out too fast — which for me isn't really a risk because I'm just not fast. But yeah, I'm looking forward to leaning on the crowd. When the going gets tough and my mind is telling me to walk a little, I want to push through that. I'm excited to see what I can do mentally, because running really is so mental. I've enjoyed it. It doesn't come naturally to me, so there's something satisfying about finishing a run and seeing what you accomplished.

CHRIS: Was there a side of the sport that surprised you as you got deeper into training? You got plugged in with Brooks for this race, and suddenly you're learning about super shoes, carbon plates, foam stacks — it's not just lacing up and heading out the door.

ANTHONY: It's a whole underground world. I was in Las Vegas earlier this year and I'm out at five-thirty in the morning before the sun comes up, and there are just so many runners out there. I thought — man, this is a whole community I never knew existed. Partnering with Brooks has been amazing. They've dialed me in on shoes, and there are so many options. I'm running in the Hyperion Max 4s, which are incredibly comfortable for me. I'm a big guy — it's not easy to find good shoes for heavier runners. Any heavy runner I talk to, first thing I ask is what shoes they're in.

CHRIS: What's the moment of the race you've been visualizing most?

ANTHONY: Probably the start. Just that rush of people, the excitement, getting settled, controlling the breathing. But honestly what I'm looking forward to most is seeing how far I can push myself when my mind is telling me to stop and walk. Emily and one of her best friends are running with me the whole way, at my snail's pace as I call it, so we'll enjoy it together. We have a lot of friends and family on course — we'll stop and say hi. But yeah, I want to find out what I can do when I'm really in the pain cave.

CHRIS: Is there a part of the course you're particularly excited about?

ANTHONY: Honestly, the finish line. But I've heard Chinatown is absolutely electric — and that's toward the end, so you're kind of running toward it the whole time. I've heard Pilsen around mile sixteen is great too. But really I'm just excited to take in all of it. All the neighborhoods, all the people showing up. And the signs — people are so witty with their signs. That's going to be a genuinely fun part of it.

CHRIS: Music or no music?

ANTHONY: Probably no music for the most part. I prefer to just enjoy the atmosphere around me. There are a few quieter stretches on the course where I might throw the headphones in, but mostly I want to take in everything around me. Combination of both, probably.

CHRIS: For my final question, I want to hand it to our producer Joe. Joe just wrapped up his treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma last month — he's a diehard Cubs fan — and I wanted to give him a moment with one of his heroes. Joe?

JOE: Yeah, I mean I could ask you a million Cubs questions all day. But this is really more of a comment. When I got diagnosed in March — stage two Hodgkin's, I think the same stage you had — one of my first reactions was, ‘I know Anthony Rizzo went through this. I'm going to look up everything he's ever said about it.’ Because in the beginning, when you don't know anything about what you're facing, you don't even know what chemo is. I listened to all the interviews you've done, everything written about it. And just the fact that you're running for your foundation and raising awareness is amazing. But on top of that, just how open you've been about it — knowing that someone who won a World Series, a multi-time All-Star, got through it and had a long, successful, healthy career after — that was genuinely reassuring when I first got diagnosed. It made everything going into treatment feel more manageable. I just wanted to make sure I said that.

ANTHONY: Thank you. And congratulations on being done with treatment. You're in remission — that's awesome. My advice: it gets easier. I know those first scans, the three-month checkup, the six-month checkup can be a little nerve-wracking. But it does get easier as time goes by. Baseball gave me this incredible platform, and getting to give back through something I personally went through — I went through it too, and it's not fun. Like you said, you're blindsided. You have no idea what you're about to go through. It means a lot to hear that story. Thank you for sharing it with me.

CHRIS: Anthony, best of luck on Sunday. You've got tons of people rooting for you.

ANTHONY: Thank you. I really appreciate it. Can't wait.