Website Glitch Delays Chicago Marathon Registration

CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the second year in a row, a website glitch is delaying the registration process for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

Registration was supposed to begin at noon Wednesday, but has been delayed two weeks.

In a statement on the marathon's website, officials said registration now will begin at noon on March 19, to give them time "to finalize a routine yet comprehensive assessment of our new registration process. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding as we aim to ensure a seamless registration experience for all who wish to register for the event."

Wendy Jaehn, executive director of the Chicago Area Runners Association, chalked the delay up to due diligence by race organizers.

"It is a new registration system. They want to make sure that the user experience is good and strong, and nothing happens," she said.

Race organizers contracted with a new company for this year's registration system, after changing qualifications for the marathon.

Last February, the marathon website crashed after runners began signing up on the first day. Two weeks after the site crashed, organizers held a lottery to fill the remaining 15,000 slots for last year's marathon.

Organizers said the April 7 deadline to register for a guaranteed entry, or enter the non-guaranteed lottery, will remain in place.