Chicago, United States · 42.195 km road marathon
Chicago Marathon 2027
Sunday 10 October 2027
A flat single loop from Grant Park through 29 Chicago neighbourhoods, with a 6 h 30 limit and entry by a drawing or a guaranteed path.
This guide covers the 2027 race. The 2026 race runs on Sunday 11 October 2026; for it, see the organizer's page.
Chicago Marathon at a glance
- Start
- 07:35, 08:00 and 08:35 in three waves (2026 times), Columbus Drive, Grant Park
- Finish
- Columbus Drive, Grant Park
- Course
- One loop of the city, flat, north to Lincoln Park, west to Damen Avenue, south to 35th Street
- Elevation
- Between 179 and 192 m above sea level
- Time limit
- 6 h 30, about 15 minutes per mile; basis not stated, streets reopen behind the last starter
- Cut-offs
- None published
- Entry
- Applications: window opens 8 October 2026, closes 29 October, drawing results 8 December; $250 US, $260 non-US
- Bib pickup
- In person with photo ID at McCormick Place, Thursday to Saturday (2026); no race-day pickup, no mailing
- Aid stations
- 20 stations about one to two miles apart
Checked against the organizer's pages on 25 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.
Chicago Marathon course map and elevation
One loop of the city, flat, north to Lincoln Park, west to Damen Avenue, south to 35th Street. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.
› running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.
What to expect on the course
- Five crossings of the Chicago River: Columbus Drive near km 1, Dearborn, LaSalle and Wells Streets, and Adams Street
- Northern turn at Sheridan Road and Broadway near km 13, after Lincoln Park
- Halfway on Wacker Drive, then out along Adams Street to Damen Avenue near km 25
- Chinatown at about km 35 and a turn at 35th Street near km 38
- Last 3 km straight up Michigan Avenue, a short rise over the Roosevelt Road bridge, then the finish
The map shows the 2026 course on Chicago's streets, with the Dearborn Street leg; the organizer has not yet published the 2027 route.
Read the full course description
A single loop from Grant Park and back on closed streets through 29 neighbourhoods, which the organizer calls flat and fast; it holds a World Athletics Platinum Label. The start runs north on Columbus Drive over the Chicago River near km 1, west on Grand Avenue and back south over the river on Dearborn Street, then turns north on LaSalle Street at about km 4 and crosses it a third time, running through River North and Old Town into Lincoln Park. The northern turn is at Sheridan Road and Broadway near km 13, and the return by Broadway, Clark Street and Wells Street crosses the river again near km 21 to reach halfway on Wacker Drive. Adams Street crosses the South Branch and leads west to Damen Avenue near km 25 and Jackson Boulevard back east, then Halsted Street heads south through Greektown, Little Italy and Pilsen to Chinatown at about km 35 and a turn at 35th Street near km 38. The last 3 km run straight north on Michigan Avenue, rise briefly over the Roosevelt Road bridge and finish on Columbus Drive. No climb figure is published. The 20 aid stations sit about one to two miles apart, with gels at miles 12.4 and 18.1 in 2026 and pacers from 2:55 to 6:00.
Source, licence and file
TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (42.8 km in the file). Approximate ground heights from USGS 3D Elevation Program lidar, added by TrailSplits at roughly 100 m intervals. Bridges and small road gradients are not surveyed road elevations.Heights from the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program (public domain).
Three decisions to make before race day
Apply between 8 and 29 October 2026, with your best proof ready
Guaranteed and drawing applications share one window, 8 to 29 October 2026. Qualifying marathons count up to 29 October 2026; drawing results come on 8 December.
More detail
Guaranteed and drawing applications share one window, 08:00 Central on 8 October to 14:00 on 29 October 2026. A time-qualifier marathon must be run between 1 January 2025 and 29 October 2026, and legacy finishers who reach five with the 2026 race apply after finishing it. Drawing results come on 8 December and must be paid by 15 December; after that only charity places and tour operators remain.
Submit a corral qualifying time when you apply
Your corral sets your wave: the 2026 schedule has Wave 1 at 07:35 and Wave 3 at 08:35. Submit a qualifying time when you apply, because corrals cannot be switched on race day.
More detail
Your corral sets your wave, and in 2026 Wave 1 started at 07:35 and Wave 3 at 08:35, an hour later. Waves 1 and 2 need an accepted qualifying time from a certified course; without one you get a corral at the organizer's discretion. In 2026 changes closed on 11 August, no switching is allowed on race day, and pace groups run only from their own corrals.
Be in Chicago by Saturday to collect your bib yourself
Collect your bib yourself with photo ID at McCormick Place; in 2026 the expo closes at 18:00 on Saturday, and there is no race-day pickup.
More detail
Every runner must collect the bib and timing tag in person at the expo in McCormick Place, showing government photo ID in the registered name; no proxy or race-day pickup is listed. In 2026 the expo ran Thursday 10:00 to 18:00 and Friday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00. On race morning Grant Park opens at 05:30 and Wave 1 corrals closed at 07:20.
Your race-day sheet
Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Chicago.
ESTIMATED FINISH
11:35:00
MOVING PACE BUDGET
5:34/ km
ELAPSED PACE
5:41/ km
150 min below the modelled finish limit
| Distance | Elapsed | Local clock |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 00:28:26 | 08:03:26 |
| 10 km | 00:56:53 | 08:31:53 |
| 15 km | 01:25:19 | 09:00:19 |
| 20 km | 01:53:45 | 09:28:45 |
| Halfway | 02:00:00 | 09:35:00 |
| 25 km | 02:22:12 | 09:57:12 |
| 30 km | 02:50:38 | 10:25:38 |
| 35 km | 03:19:05 | 10:54:05 |
| 40 km | 03:47:31 | 11:22:31 |
| Finish | 04:00:00 | 11:35:00 |
Training plan for Chicago Marathon 2027
A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.
View my training planNo account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.
Entry, bib pickup and rules
- Entry:
- Applications: window opens 8 October 2026, closes 29 October, drawing results 8 December; $250 US, $260 non-US
- Bib pickup:
- In person with photo ID at McCormick Place, Thursday to Saturday (2026); no race-day pickup, no mailing
Read the full entry and pickup rules
The 2027 application opens at 08:00 Central on 8 October 2026 and closes at 14:00 on 29 October. Time qualifiers, runners with five finishes in ten years, and 2026 Distance Series finishers apply in that window (the High Performance Program has its own deadline); charity places (at least $2,500 raised) and tour operators stay open longer. Everyone else enters a drawing with results on 8 December. Fees are $250 for US residents and $260 for others, $325 and $335 for charity places, plus a processing fee. Runners must be 16 on race day, and entries cannot be transferred or refunded. Bibs are collected in person with government photo ID at the expo in McCormick Place; in 2026 it runs Thursday to Saturday, and packets are not available on race day or mailed.
Sources
Checked 25 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-21. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.
- 2027 application page
- Future event dates
- Course page
- Street closures
- Participant information
- Start corrals and pace team
- Race weekend events
What each source confirms
- 2027 application page: Sunday 10 October 2027 as the 49th running, the 8 to 29 October 2026 application window, guaranteed entry paths, drawing and payment dates, fees, the minimum age of 16, the 6 h 30 requirement, no transfers or refunds, and in-person pickup with government photo ID.
- Future event dates: Sunday 10 October 2027 and the second-Sunday-of-October rule.
- Course page: Flat and fast loop through 29 neighbourhoods, Grant Park start and finish, 20 aid stations one to two miles apart, 2026 gel and water-refill points, the 6 h 30 limit, the vehicle following the last starter at 15 minutes per mile, the Platinum Label and the 2026 course map PDF.
- Street closures: The 2026 course street list in order, including Dearborn Street from Grand Avenue to Jackson Boulevard and the finish from Roosevelt Road onto Columbus Drive.
- Participant information: 2026 race-morning schedule: Grant Park and gear check at 05:30, corral closing times, professional start 07:30 and waves at 07:35, 08:00 and 08:35. 2026 facts, not 2027 confirmations.
- Start corrals and pace team: Corral assignment rules, the 2026 11 August change deadline and no race-day switching; the pace-team page and chart give pace groups from 2:55 to 6:00 lined up by corral.
- Race weekend events: Expo and packet pickup at McCormick Place, Thursday 10:00 to 18:00, Friday and Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 in 2026.