The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is Sunday, October 11, starting and finishing in Grant Park. Wheelchair racers go first at 7:20 a.m. CT, the elite field and Wave 1 start at 7:30 a.m., Wave 2 at 8 a.m. and Wave 3 at 8:35 a.m. Runners have six and a half hours to finish, and more than 50,000 are expected on one of the flattest and fastest courses in the world.
Race Day Timeline
| Time (CT) | Event |
|---|---|
| 7:20 a.m. | Wheelchair start (men), with the women’s wheelchair start at 7:21 |
| 7:23 a.m. | Handcycle start |
| 7:30 a.m. | Wave 1: elite field and corrals A through E |
| 8:00 a.m. | Wave 2: corrals F, G, H and J |
| 8:35 a.m. | Wave 3: corrals K, L, M and N |
| 9:30 a.m. | Post race party and spectator access to Grant Park open |
Start corrals close 10 minutes before each wave. Times from the official race day schedule and subject to change.
The Course
The course is a single loop that begins and ends in Grant Park and passes through 29 neighborhoods, north to Lincoln Park and Lakeview, west through the West Loop, and south through Pilsen and Chinatown before returning up Michigan Avenue. It is famously flat, with the only real climb a short rise on Roosevelt Road just before the finish, and it has produced seven world records. Digital clocks mark every 5 kilometers, and a trail vehicle moving at 15 minutes per mile follows the last starter so streets can reopen.
How to Track a Runner and Watch
The official Bank of America Chicago Marathon app offers live runner tracking, an interactive course map, real time results and a stream of the race broadcast. The race is broadcast live in Chicago on NBC 5, which covers the elite races from the start. Spectators can find their runners along the course using the app’s tracking, and Grant Park opens to spectators at 9:30 a.m.
Weather
October in Chicago usually means cool racing weather, with average highs around 64 degrees and lows in the mid 40s, which is one reason the course is so fast. Race morning can still range from near freezing at the start to warm by the finish, so runners typically bring throwaway layers; clothing left at the start is not returned.
Race Weekend
The Health and Fitness Expo and packet pickup run Thursday, October 8 through Saturday, October 10 at McCormick Place. The Abbott Chicago 5K, which previews part of the marathon course downtown, is Saturday, October 10.
Recent Winners
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda, 2:02:23 | Hawi Feysa, Ethiopia, 2:14:56 |
| 2024 | John Korir, Kenya, 2:02:44 | Ruth Chepngetich, Kenya, 2:09:56 |
| 2023 | Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya, 2:00:35 | Sifan Hassan, Netherlands, 2:13:44 |
The men’s course record is Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 from 2023, which set the marathon world record. Last year Jacob Kiplimo ran the second fastest time in race history, and American Conner Mantz finished fourth in 2:04:43 to break the American record.
More Running
Boston Marathon qualifying times · Average running pace by age · Running world records · Arizona 5K races
Official race information is at ChicagoMarathon.com, and elite results are archived by World Athletics.