Registration for the 35th anniversary Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K opens today at noon Central Time. The popular road race is an annual tradition that ushers in spring and signals the kickoff to Chicago running season. The 2014 event will be held on Sunday, March 30, and will welcome 40,000 runners on the flat and fast downtown course that starts and finishes in Grant Park. Interested participants can register online at www.shamrockshuffle.com. The registration fee is $45 and registration will close when the 40,000-participant capacity is reached.

Celebrating its 35th year, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle has grown from a small local event into the world's largest 8K (4.97-mile) road race. The second-largest running event in Chicago behind the Chicago Marathon, the Shamrock Shuffle ranks among the 10 largest races in the U.S. and 20 largest in the world. Its size is a tribute to the growing enthusiasm of the Chicago running community, with more than 90 percent of Shamrock Shuffle participants hailing from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

Each year, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K welcomes participants of all ability levels who are beginning their annual running and fitness campaigns, from Olympic-caliber athletes, to those targeting the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, to beginning runners participating in their first organized road race. The end result is fun-filled race weekend experience that celebrates health and fitness in Chicago and jumpstarts the local running season.

"For 35 years, Chicagoans have run away from winter and into spring at the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K, and we're excited to do it again this year," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "We're experiencing historic cold in Chicago today, but that's what will make Sunday, March 30, all the more rewarding, as it will kick off a fun-filled running season in Chicago for those who might be training for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in the fall and for those looking to stay healthy and motivated in 2014."

About the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K
Long recognized as an annual rite of spring and the kickoff to the outdoor running season in Chicago, the 35th anniversary Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K takes runners on a scenic tour of downtown Chicago, starting and finishing in Grant Park. The race will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, and will conclude with live music at the traditional Post-Race Party in Grant Park. In advance of the event, the two-day Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Health & Fitness Expo will take place at Navy Pier on Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29, featuring more than 80 industry-related exhibitors. The Health & Fitness Expo is free and open to the public. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to www.shamrockshuffle.com.

Visit the Bank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news.

Reporters May Contact:
Jeremy Borling, Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K, 1.312.992.6614
jeremy.borling@bankofamerica.com
Diane Wagner, Bank of America, 1.312.992.2370
diane.wagner@bankofamerica.com