Chicago - Northwest Side / O'Hare International Airport / The Runners - by Prof. Theodoros Papagiannis..

The Runners - by Prof. Theodoros Papagiannis

Runners - by Theodoros Papagiannis

Dedicated: 2011

40 feet long x18 feet height

10 individual runner statues. 

Each of the first 5 Runners is about 6,000 pounds (3 tons), and 

each of the later empty ones is about 12,000 pounds (5-6 tons).

Location: O'Hare International Airport

The sculpture is donated by the Athens Committee 

of the Chicago Sister Cities International (CSCI)

The sculpture is part of Chicago Gateway Green's 

International Sculpture Program

The Runners - by Prof. Theodoros Papagiannis

Some trivia about "The Runners"...
In 2006, the City of Chicago sponsored an international sculpture competition which garnered over 50 entries from artists around the world. Ultimately the Committee selected “The Runners” piece by Theodoros Papagiannis for it’s intricate and original design.

In April, 2011, “The Runners Sculpture” was installed at O’Hare International Airport. It is a massive 18-foot high 40-foot long sculpture. There are 10 individual runner statues. Each of the first five runners, is about 6,000 pounds [3 tons] and each of the later empty runners, is about 12,000 pounds [5-6 tons].

It uses special high grade, vessel strength stainless steel, about two-&-quarter inches thick. These pieces are water-jet cut..

There is about four-&- a-half feet deep concrete pour, below the surface, of which, the top nine inches of concrete is stained in "Cool Gray" shade, which matches with the color tone of the sculpture.

The lower edge of each foot of the Runner statues, extends three feet below the surface, and the anchor run a further one-&-a-half feet deep.

All concrete has air– entrainment to weather Chicago’s freeze-thaw conditions. All concrete reinforcements are Epoxy coated, to make them non-corrosive, making the expected life of the sculpture to be more than a 1,000 years