Running: THE RESULTS ARE IN: 2006 LASALLE BANK CHICAGO MARATHON RAISES $9.2 MILLION FOR AFFILIATED CHARITIES

Tuesday, December 19, 2006 - 06:57 PM

Outstanding Athletic Performances, High Attendance Contribute to Racing Success

CHICAGO (December 19, 2006) - The 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
charity program broke all its own records as the 60 affiliated charities combined to generate more than $9.2 million through the Race for their causes. With a record 5,000 individuals participating in the Oct. 22 Marathon on behalf of a charity partner, the program surpassed 2005 results of $6.3 million with a 30% increase in funds raised.

Developing a program where charities can utilize our event as a conduit
for fundraising has been a focus of ours for the last five years and the
results have exceeded our greatest expectations, commented LaSalle Bank
Executive Vice President and LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon Event Chairman
Mark A. Nystuen. While it has already been a tremendous success, we see
great things in store for this program and its growth will continue to be a
priority of the Marathon and the bank in the years ahead."

Since the formalization of the charity program in 2002, it has generated
$27.5 million for a variety of causes. Among the 60 programs affiliated
with The 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon are organizations that support
disease research, educational programs and the development of healthy
communities in Africa.

Along with the tremendous success of the charity program, The 2006 LaSalle
Bank Chicago Marathon experienced arguably one of the most successful
events in its 29-year history despite challenges of cold temperatures and
blustery winds on Sunday, Oct. 22. Since reaching its 40,000 participant
cap in record time on May 26, the Race continued to break its own records
and generate positive results for its athletes, sponsors, spectators and
the city of Chicago.

Among its many accomplishments, the 2006 Marathon attracted nearly 7,000
international runners representing 123 countries, qualified 69 American
athletes for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, drew 1.2 million spectators and
generated economic benefits for the Chicago community and local businesses.

2008 U.S. Olympic Trial Qualifiers
The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon continued to support the career
development of American athletes aspiring to become members of the U.S.
Olympic Team. Along with offering a flat, fast course complementary to
posting top times, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon once again offered
bonus incentives for athletes meeting the standard to qualify for the 2008
U.S. Olympic Trials. A total 69 American athletes qualified for the 2008
Trials which will be held in November, 2007 for the men and in April, 2008
for the women.

Twenty men qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials according to the
Standard (2:20:00) and 24 according to the Standard (2:22:00).
For the women, three qualified according to the Olympic Standard
(2:39:00) and 22 according to the Standard (2:47:00).

Other Outstanding Performances
2006 champions Robert K. Cheruiyot (Kenya) and Berhane Adere (Ethiopia)
continued to enhance the Race reputation for hosting the world's
greatest marathon talents. Cheruiyot led the men's field with a 2:07:35 finish time
while Adere broke the tape in 2:20:42 to lead the women.

Among the elite women's field, four athletes set new national marathon
records for their countries. Champion Adere bested the Ethiopian record
with her winning time (2:20:42) followed by second-place finisher Galina
Bogomolova with a Russian record 2:20:47. Third-place finisher Benita
Johnson bested Australia's mark to 2:22:36 and Madai Perez Carrillo set a
new record for Mexico with a time of 2:22:59.

Not too far behind these professional athletes was Amy Winters, 32, of
Meadville, Penn. who broke a world record of her own. As the result of a
1994 motorcycle accident, Winters' left leg was amputated below the knee.
She broke the world record for female below-the-knee amputees by posting a
finish time of 3:04:16 on The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon course with the
use of a prosthetic limb.

World Marathon Majors
At the midway point of its first two-year series, the World Marathon Majors
was significantly impacted by results of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
The series of the five greatest marathons in the world includes the Chicago
Race and will award its first $1 million purse next fall to be split equally among the male and female points leaders.

Athletes placing in the top five at each race earn points based on place so
that each race has an equal weight on the series outcome. However, with his
win in Chicago, men's champion Cheruiyot holds a commanding lead among the
men with 50 total points. He won the Boston Marathon title in the spring
and is the only competitor with two first-place finishes in 2006.

Chicago women's champion Adere also advanced significantly and is now tied
for second among the women with a total of 30 points following her
fourth-place finish at the Flora London Marathon in April. Adere was joined
by Chicago runner-up Bogomolova as two of only four women to earn points at
two World Marathon Majors races this year. Bogomolova finished fifth just
behind Adere again in London last spring.

Popularity
The popularity of long distance running continues to escalate and that was
evident from the Marathon's open registration launch on Jan. 1, 2006. In
less than five months, the field was closed after reaching its cap of
40,000 registrants nearly five months in advance of the Race.

Among the field of participants were almost 7,000 international runners and
Americans representing each of the 50 states. On Race Day, a record 34,698
participants arrived at the Start Line with an all-time event record 33,633
crossing the Finish Line.

Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions and temperatures in the low 40s,
1.2 million spectators lined the 26.2-mile course to cheer on loved ones,
witness the spectacle of 40,000 runners coursing through the city or gain
the inspiration to take on the marathon challenge themselves a challenge
that continues to appeal to larger numbers each year.

City and Community
In September, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon introduced a new,
multi-year initiative to green its course and operations. The first step
was to address areas along the course designated as urban heat islands.
More than 75 trees were planted along the Race route in the West Loop
neighborhood to combat higher summer temperatures by providing more
vegetation and shade cover.

To support the Marathon's greening initiative, the Chicago Streets and
Sanitation Department increased their recycling efforts during Race
Weekend. Ten trucks were added to the fleet this year exclusively for the
separate collection of recyclable materials generated at the 17 aid
stations along the course. More than 18.2 tons of recyclables were
collected Race Weekend achieving a 34% recycling rate for the event.

Sponsors
The LaSalle Bank Health and Fitness Expo hosted 175 exhibitors featuring
the latest in health and fitness from apparel to nutrition to equipment and
technology. More than 125,000 visitors of all ages visited the free Expo
during its two-day run at McCormick Place Convention Center in advance of
the Race.

New Balance, official apparel sponsor of the Marathon, embarked on a unique
and first-ever promotion with the Race in creating The LaSalle Bank Chicago
Marathon running shoe. Both men's and women's versions featuring the
event logo on the tongue and the course map on the insole were available for
purchase in advance of the Race and at New Balance's expanded official
apparel retail space at the Health & Fitness Expo. The commemorative shoes
were met with great enthusiasm by runners and non-runners alike both in
retail outlets and at the Expo.

Marathon sponsor Starbucks hosted Runner Update Centers in 10 of its
downtown locations on Race Day. Spectators visiting these locations could
receive up-to-date information on specific runners from Marathon staff
stationed in the coffee shops with access to the electronic timing system.
As a result, the Starbucks Runner Update Center locations experienced a 33%
increase per transaction over the previous Sunday (Oct. 15). Other
Starbucks locations along the Race route also benefited from the event
reporting an increase of 49% per transaction over the previous Sunday.

30th Anniversary
On Oct. 7, 2007, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon will host its 30th
anniversary running. Registration is set to open on Monday, Jan. 1, 2007 at
chicagomarathon.com.

www.chicagomarathon.com

LaSalle Bank N.A.

LaSalle Bank N.A. is the largest bank headquartered in Chicago, with $71.4
billion in assets and $44.2 billion in deposits. LaSalle Bank serves
individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies and institutions
through 135 retail locations and 450 ATMs in Chicago and its suburbs, and
online at lasallebank.com.

LaSalle Bank has retail and commercial operations in 20 states and 26
cities across the U.S. In addition, it offers specialty services through
its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including LaSalle Financial Services,
Inc., LaSalle National Leasing Corporation and LaSalle Business Credit,
LLC.

Parent company LaSalle Bank Corporation, also headquartered in Chicago, has
$122.3 billion in assets. It is an indirect subsidiary of
Netherlands-based ABN AMRO Bank N.V., a leading international bank with
total assets of EUR 999 bln. ABN AMRO operates more than 4,500 branches in
53 countries, and has a staff of more than 110,000 full-time employees
worldwide.

LaSalle Bank N.A., Member FDIC, Equal Opportunity Lender
© 2006 LaSalle Bank Corporation