Wendell “Wendy” Miller, a Lake Bluff resident who helped found the Chicago Marathon and played a crucial role in its early development, has died. He was 92.
“He was a pioneer,” said current Chicago Marathon race director Carey Pinkowski. “When he started, marathon running was thought of as an extreme sport, but he was encouraging people to come out, get active, and run. He was one of the Chicago originals.”
Miller died Jan. 8 of natural causes at his Lake Bluff home, according to his daughter, Julie Hawley.
Raised in Canby, Minnesota, Miller graduated from St. Olaf College, where he studied philosophy and played on both the football and basketball teams. After graduation, he met his soon-to-be wife, Marlene, and the two were married and initially worked as a traveling salesman in Minnesota and later in Atlanta before the couple settled in Lake Bluff in 1961.
“My mother just liked it here in Lake Bluff,” said his daughter Muffet Trout. “So they chose Lake Bluff.”
Miller later transitioned careers and, with a business partner, formed a financial planning firm in downtown Chicago. Recreation also played a central role in family life. Marlene served as the longtime girls’ golf coach at Lake Forest High School and was a Lake Bluff Park District commissioner.
About a decade after moving to Lake Bluff, Miller began pursuing a healthier lifestyle. His exercise routine started with basketball, as he organized a regular group at the Lake Forest College gym.
“He loved to play ball with people, and that just evolved into the running,” Hawley said.
Seeking to channel his growing interest into something more organized, Miller was involved with Midwest Masters, a running group for athletes over 40. He also established Club North Shore, a distance running club whose members raced throughout Lake Bluff and Lake Forest. Those efforts eventually led to the creation of the Lake Bluff Marathon.
As interest continued to grow, Miller sensed there would be enthusiasm for a larger race that would take runners through many Chicago neighborhoods. He approached Lee Flaherty, who became the initial sponsor of the first race in 1977. The event was originally called the Mayor Daley Marathon, in honor of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, who had died the previous December. The inaugural race drew between 3,000 and 5,000 runners.
As the marathon sought to gain a foothold in the Chicago sports scene, Miller took on numerous responsibilities as race director while working with the event’s initial corporate sponsors.
“He was always pushing and trying to convince them the marathon could be a real economic engine for the city of Chicago,” said Carl Ruzicka, who, along with his brother Tony, assisted Miller in promoting the event during its early years.
Through the Ruzicka brothers, Miller was later introduced to Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter, one of the sport’s most prominent figures at the time. Shorter became a key early participant in the Chicago Marathon and other local races, impressed by Miller’s vision and persistence.
“He was one of those very few people who truly loved putting one foot in front of the other and moving down the road,” Shorter said. “He wanted to share that love of running, and he did.”
Miller served as race director for several years before transitioning into an advisory role as the marathon expanded. By 2025, the Chicago Marathon had grown to include more than 54,000 runners from all 50 states and more than 100 countries, generating more than $683 million annually for the Chicago economy, according to race officials.
Even after stepping back from day-to-day leadership, Miller remained involved as an advisor, often sharing historical anecdotes, Pinkowski recalled.
“He had a grounding effect on everybody,” he said. “As things got busy, he always brought a wonderful sense of humor.”
Outside of running, Miller enjoyed playing the guitar, writing poetry, caring for animals — particularly dogs — and golfing. His daughters whimsically recalled that he especially loved retrieving golf balls from water hazards, storing them in five-gallon pails at home and later giving them out as gifts.
Survivors include his daughters, Julie Hawley (Peter) and Muffet Trout (John); a son, Peter; daughter-in-law Susan Perko; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Marlene, his wife of 67 years, who died in 2022, and a son, Robin.
A memorial service is being planned for May 30 at Lake Bluff’s Grace Methodist Church.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.