On October 11, 2026 Chicago hosts the 48th edition of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors and, on paper, the fastest course on the global calendar. This is the American flat-course PB factory — Kelvin Kiptum ran 2:00:35 here in 2023, the world record at the time, and Ruth Chepngetich smashed the 2:10 barrier with 2:09:56 in 2024. This guide is for non-elite runners who want to understand why Chicago is the global destination for an autumn PB: 29 neighborhoods, near-zero elevation gain, ~45,000 finishers, and a soft Lake Michigan breeze that almost always plays nice. We cover lottery, lodging, the course kilometer by kilometer, a 16-week plan, a splits calculator, and a personalized race plan.

Chicago is the American flat marathon par excellence, a member of the World Marathon Majors alongside Boston, New York, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. The course covers 29 neighborhoods in 42 km — never boring, in a single loop that starts and finishes in Grant Park, with barely ~30 m of cumulative elevation across the entire race — the American equivalent of Berlin or Valencia. It draws ~45,000 finishers each edition (record of 53,000 in 2025), has a 95 % finish rate, and lines the course with 1.7 million spectators. This isn't the "experience" marathon that makes you fall in love with the scenery; this is the course for your fastest time.

Chicago sells speed. Altitude is essentially zero (180 m), total elevation is ~30 m spread over false flats, October weather typically swings between 4 and 15 °C, and the organization has its machinery dialed after 47 editions. What you lose in scenery (no medieval cathedrals, no Mediterranean coast) you gain in raw speed: 7 world records have been set here, the latest being Chepngetich's 2:09:56 in 2024.

• If you've recently run sub-3:30 on a hilly marathon: target 3:20–3:25 here. The flat course gives you back 5–10 minutes.
• If you're coming from halfs and have never done 42K: Chicago is a good debut marathon if your goal is to finish comfortably. The flat course, the atmosphere, and the dense aid stations make the debut accessible.
• If you're chasing a pure PB: yes, yes, and yes. Together with Berlin and Valencia, it's the PB destination par excellence. Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 WR set here in 2023; Conner Mantz broke the American record in 2024 (2:04:43).
• If you train for Boston, NYC, Tokyo: Chicago is the perfect "flat-course test." If you do 3:00 in Chicago, you'll do 3:08 in Boston because of the hills.
• If you want the fastest marathon in the world: Chicago goes head to head with Berlin (Kipchoge's historic record) for that title. The difference: October air in Chicago is cooler than September air in Berlin.

See other marathons around the world →

The Chicago Marathon course is a single 42.195 km loop that starts on Columbus Drive in Grant Park, climbs north to Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville, returns south through The Loop, crosses Greektown, West Loop, Pilsen, and Chinatown, runs south through Bronzeville and Bridgeport, and finishes back in Grant Park climbing the only real bump on the course at Mt. Roosevelt. Total elevation gain is around 30 meters — yes, thirty — spread over false flats that don't even feel like climbs.

The first kilometers head up Columbus Drive and turn north on State Street crossing the Chicago River — the first iconic moment, with Loop skyscrapers on both sides. The race heads north toward Lincoln Park (km 6–11), Wrigleyville, and Boystown (km 11–14), passing right by Wrigley Field (Cubs stadium) in one of the most spectator-dense stretches of the entire race. The southbound turn comes at km 14–15, heading back toward downtown via Old Town and dropping into The Loop (km 16–21).

The half marathon is crossed at State Street near Adams, in the heart of the Loop — a classic photo spot. From there the course heads west into Greektown (km 22), West Loop / Fulton Market (km 23–25), United Center (km 25, home of the Bulls), turns south through Pilsen (km 26–28, Mexican neighborhood with brutal energy), enters Chinatown (km 30, passing under the iconic gate), and heads south through Bronzeville and Bridgeport (km 32–37). The final stretch returns north along Michigan Avenue and ends with the only real climb of the day: Mt. Roosevelt — the only "climb", basically a joke (40-50 m of incline on Roosevelt Road) before the final turn onto Columbus Drive and the finish line in Grant Park.

The asphalt is smooth and clean throughout (it's an American city — no cobblestones). There are 20 aid stations with water and Gatorade Endurance, distributed every ~2 km. Carbs (Maurten Caf 100 gels) at km 22.5 and km 30. Crowd density is brutal in Lincoln Park, Boystown, The Loop, Pilsen, and the final straight on Michigan Avenue — thinner at km 32-37 crossing Bronzeville heading south, where you'll run the most mental zone of the race.

🚨 Where the race breaks

Course data for Strava / Garmin: the organizer publishes the official GPX 6-8 weeks out at chicagomarathon.com/course. If you want to train the Chinatown → Bronzeville segment before the race, search Strava for "Chicago Marathon Last 10K" — the exact profile is available.

The Chicago Marathon was born in 1977 as the Mayor Daley Marathon, inspired by the running boom that followed the modern New York City Marathon's debut in 1976. The first edition had 4,200 entrants and 2,128 finishers — laughable compared to today's ~45,000. Bank of America has sponsored the race since 2008, and historic director Carey Pinkowski has led it since 1990. The race has been part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors since 2006.

Roll of honor and race data:

Verified winners and times from the 5 most recent editions:

Data verified against the public archive at Chicago Marathon (Wikipedia EN).

Getting a Chicago bib has three official routes and all of them require planning 12+ months ahead: lottery (open lottery in November-December of the prior year), time qualifier (proving a recent mid-tier marathon mark), or charity bib (commitment to raise $1,750+ for an associated nonprofit).

• Application window: late October to late November 2025 for the 2026 edition.
• Result: mid-December 2025.
• Application cost: ~$12 non-refundable.
• Acceptance rate: ~25-30 % for US runners, ~35-40 % for international (separate quotas).
• If selected: you pay for the bib in January ($235 US residents · $260 international).

• Men under 35: sub-2:50 (run on an AIMS/USATF certified marathon in the last ~2 years).
• Women under 35: sub-3:10.
• Men 35-39: sub-2:55 · Women 35-39: sub-3:15. (And so on, scaled by age band.)
• Men 70+: sub-4:30 · Women 70+: sub-4:50.
• Cost: same as the lottery route ($235/$260), no extra fee for the qualifier.
• Application window: opens before the lottery (typically October).

• Minimum cost: $1,750 raised for an official program nonprofit (American Cancer Society, Team in Training, etc.).
• Realistic total raised: most charity runners end up raising between $2,500 and $5,000.
• Advantage: guaranteed entry without going through lottery or qualifier.
• Who uses it: runners who've tried lottery for years without success, or who have personal reasons to support a specific cause.

Indicative prices based on the 2025 edition. Always confirm on the official site — amounts are updated annually.

Refund and deferral policy:

• No refunds under any circumstances (injury, travel, COVID — no exceptions).
• No official deferral to the next edition either, except in extremely exceptional cases approved case by case.
• Bib transfer to another runner is not allowed.
• Travel insurance: strongly recommended if traveling from Europe, Asia, or Latin America.

Bib pickup happens at the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo at McCormick Place (Hall A), normally open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the race. No race-day pickup: pickup closes Saturday at 6:00 PM, no exceptions.

You'll need:

• The confirmation email printed or on your phone
• Valid passport (international runners) or US driver's license (residents)
• Authorization letter if a family member picks it up for you (template downloadable from the official site)

The expo at McCormick Place is the largest on the WMM calendar alongside NYC: 200+ booths, elite presentations, shoe testing, free Maurten dispensers, Nike pop-up store with Chicago Marathon exclusives. Reserve 2-3 hours for the visit if you're coming from out of town.

The most practical way to reach Chicago is flying into O'Hare International (ORD) or Midway International (MDW) and from there taking public transport to downtown. Don't drive on race day — street closures start at 4:30 AM and the Grant Park area is fully closed to traffic until mid-afternoon. The CTA (Chicago metro/bus) and Metra (commuter rail) are the realistic way to move around.

• O'Hare International (ORD): ~30 km northwest of downtown. CTA Blue Line direct to the Loop (45-55 min, $5). Taxi/Uber ~$50-65 depending on time.
• Midway International (MDW): ~16 km southwest of downtown. CTA Orange Line direct to the Loop (25-35 min, $5). Taxi/Uber ~$35-45.
• Recommendation: arrive Thursday or Friday before the race. By Saturday hotels are saturated and the expo entrance becomes endless.

• CTA metro: every line has a station 5-15 minutes' walk from Grant Park. The Red Line, Blue Line, Brown Line, Orange Line, and Green Line cover all of downtown.
• Metra (commuter rail): if you're staying in suburbs or using a far-out AirBnB, there are special Metra services Sunday morning to Millennium Station / Ogilvie Transportation Center.
• Ideal plan: the first train of your line toward downtown at 5:30-6:00 AM. Start is at 7:30 and corrals close 30-45 minutes earlier.
• No metro: if you're staying within 2 km of Grant Park, walk. It's faster and more predictable. Loop metro exits get jammed at 6:30-7:00.

Don't drive. But if you insist:

• Grant Park and Millennium Park garages: ~$50-80 for the day.
• McCormick Place garage: $25-35.
• Paid Loop parking lots: $30-50.
• Don't park on the street: fines and tow trucks are aggressive and the race zone is closed off.

For a marathon runner, staying within 20 minutes' walk of Grant Park is not luxury: it's logistics. Chicago in October can dawn at 4 °C, and walking 1 km to the corral in a singlet is very different from taking two metro transfers at 5:30 AM with thousands of runners. The three zones that fit the bill are The Loop (next to Grant Park, maximum convenience), Magnificent Mile / River North (prettier, 1-2 km walk), and South Loop (more affordable, near the start).

• Breakfast before 5:30 (or a bag the night before). Start is at 7:30 — you eat 2:30-3 h before, so you need coffee and carbs at 5:00 if you're going to start at 7:30. Confirm with the hotel when booking that they'll have something available at that time.
• Late check-out until 2:00-3:00 PM. American marathons end later than you think. If you're going for sub-4, you cross the finish at 11:30, get back to the hotel around 12:30, shower, eat — and at 1:00 PM they're kicking you out if you booked a noon checkout.
• Bathtub for ice baths / contrast post-race. More useful after 42K than after 21K. Filter on Booking ("bath with bathtub").
• Interior or high-floor room. Saturday night in River North or the Loop can be loud — don't gamble with your pre-marathon sleep.
• Room with independent climate control. October in Chicago is cool; some hotels switch the central system from cooling to heating right around these weeks and there can be issues.
• Real distance in meters, not in marketing minutes. <800 m: easy 10-min walk. 800–1,500 m: 15-20 min walk. >1,500 m: metro mandatory.

• Distance to start: 200-800 m on foot (3-10 min). The maximum-logistics option.
• Pros: literally next to Grant Park, restaurants for the pasta dinner, direct metro connection to O'Hare.
• Cons: premium race-weekend rate (often $350-600/night).
• Best for: runners who value zero logistical stress and can pay the premium.

• Distance to start: 1,500-2,500 m on foot (18-30 min) or 1 metro stop.
• Pros: top restaurants, nightlife, Chicago River views, luxury shopping.
• Cons: transport mandatory Sunday at 6:00 AM if you stay further north.

• Distance to start: 1,500-2,500 m on foot (18-30 min).
• Pros: more affordable rates ($200-350/night), next to McCormick Place (expo), quiet.
• Cons: less nightlife, 1 metro stop to the Loop.

*Indicative race-weekend rate (second Sunday of October). Up 30-60 % vs any other weekend of the year due to the marathon. Book 6+ months ahead.

The weather in Chicago on the second Sunday of October averages 4 °C minimum at dawn and 15 °C maximum at midday with sunny conditions and low humidity around 75 % of editions, according to historic NOAA data. Rain is infrequent (one edition with light rain every 5 editions), and the average wind is 12-18 km/h from the west or northwest — predominantly headwind on some sections of the course running north along Lake Michigan.

Chicago conditions are almost always ideal for a PB. Optimal temperature for an elite marathon is 8-12 °C; Chicago in October falls right there. Dry air (mean relative humidity 65 %) is another factor in your favor compared to Berlin (more humid) or Tokyo (warmer).

Plan by forecast:

• <4 °C max: "cool" marathon — wear a singlet with a thin thermal sleeve or a light long-sleeve shirt. No thermal stress.
• 4–10 °C: ideal PB conditions. Most course records (including Kiptum's 2:00:35) were set in this range.
• 10–15 °C: optimal conditions. You can run in a singlet without thermal layer.
• 15–20 °C: watch your pace from km 1. Drink at every aid station and reduce target pace by 5-10 seconds per km.
• >20 °C: rare but it's happened (2007). Drop target pace by 15-20 seconds per km and consider DNF if the thermometer goes above 25 °C.

The wind factor. Lake Michigan introduces a soft-to-moderate breeze (12-18 km/h) typically from west/northwest. That means on the kilometers running north (km 5-15) you may have a light tailwind from your left; at km 22-30 (west-south) headwind or crosswind. No section is windy enough to wreck a PB, but use it to your advantage: tuck into the pack on the most exposed sections.

The recommended plan to prepare for the Chicago Marathon is a 16-week block with peak volume in weeks 11-13 (between 50 km and 130+ km weekly depending on goal), one weekly long run, and a three-week taper. The key for Chicago: train your single race pace. The course is flat, so there's no margin to "bank time on downhills" like in Madrid. Here you go in, hold the pace, and come out — that's it.

Approach Chicago like a Berlin- or Valencia-style flat marathon. Pick your goal and follow the table — these are peak volumes (weeks 11-13), not full-cycle averages.

How to read the table and build the cycle:

• These are peak volumes (weeks 11-13). The average across the 16-week block will be roughly 65 % of the row you choose.
• One long run per week, no more. It's the session that builds the most aerobic fitness.
• The rest of the volume is easy runs at conversational pace.
• Standard distribution: 80 % easy / 20 % hard, measured by total time.
• One quality session per week is enough up to the 4h00 goal; from there, two come into play.

Three sessions worth gold for Chicago:

1. Tempo at marathon goal pace on a flat course (weeks 4-12). 12-18 km at your goal pace on a flat loop. Chicago doesn't forgive imprecise paces: if you train at 5:00/km and start at 4:55/km, you pay for it at km 30.
2. 32 km long run with last 8 km at marathon pace (weeks 9-12). The session that best simulates the fatigue at km 32-37 crossing Bronzeville. If you do those final 8 km at goal pace without breaking, Chicago is in the bag.
3. Long intervals (weeks 6-13). 4-6 × 2 km at marathon pace minus 5-10 s/km, with 90 s easy jog recovery. Trains the exact "cruise pace" you'll hold from km 5 to km 35.

The taper is three weeks, not two. Week 14 at 80 %, week 15 at 60 %, week 16 at 40 % maintaining race pace in short pickups. The final two long runs (in weeks 11 and 12) are what fill the cup.

Don't know what realistic goal time you have for Chicago? Cross your best recent half marathon with the "Chicago" factor (which is basically the flat-course factor with no penalties):

How to read it: the "flat" column is the unadjusted Riegel conversion (your half × ~2.11). Chicago is basically that projection with no extra penalty — flat course, cool weather, dialed organization. If your form breaks at km 30, you land at the high end of the range. If you arrive with legs, the low end.

Find another marathon near you →

Once you have your goal time, this calculator gives you the required average pace (in min/km and min/mi) and the cumulative splits at 5K, 10K, 15K, half marathon, 30K, and finish. Change the goal time in the field below and the table updates instantly:

The calculator above gives you the pace. But a real race plan answers more questions: what strategy do I start with? how many gels do I carry? when do I take in caffeine? what do I do if at km 21 I'm 30 seconds over goal?

Configure your goal, strategy, and fueling plan. The planner generates a personalized plan by segment (with paces, HR zones, mental cues, and minute-by-minute fueling), a race morning checklist, and a Plan B for the unexpected. Download it as PDF to take it with you on race day.

You're at the corral. You've done the 16-week plan. What separates good training from a good time is what you do over the next 3-5 hours.

The Chicago race plan should combine conservative pacing in km 1-10 (crowding + euphoria + dense neighborhoods), absolute goal pace from km 10-32, and push or hold from km 32 to 42 depending on how you arrive at Bronzeville. The flat course is a double-edged sword: it invites you to hold an aggressive pace, and if you fail, the correction doesn't come from a hill warning you — it comes from a silent crash.

• Wake up: 3.5 hours before (4:00 AM if start is 7:30).
• Breakfast: 3 h before. What you've tested on long runs, no experiments. 80-100 g of carbs.
• Hotel departure: 90-100 minutes before. Corrals fill from 75 minutes out.
• Warm-up: light. A 5-10 minute jog + 4 strides of 50 m. If you're going faster than sub-3:30, add 10 extra minutes.
• Corral: enter 30-45 minutes before the gun. The marathon starts in waves (Wave 1 at 7:30, Wave 2 at 8:00, Wave 3 at 8:35).

• Km 1-10 (conservative): the first kilometers are dense with crowds and emotion. Lincoln Park and Boystown are magic — but they're traps. Any amateur who crosses km 5 at 10 seconds per km below goal pace pays 90-180 seconds in the final 10K. Hold goal pace, no more, no less.
• Km 10-25 (cruise): goal pace at a heart rate you can hold while talking in short phrases. Drink at every aid station, gel on your cadence. The half marathon at State Street near Adams is a very photogenic zone — if you're with a partner, crossing the halfway line together is one of the unforgettable memories.
• Km 25-32 (final cruise): the West Loop → Pilsen → Chinatown zone is vibrant and the pace is easy to hold. But km 30 is the critical mark: how you cross Chinatown determines the next 10 km. If you arrive with legs, hold. If you arrive on the edge, drop one notch.
• Km 32-37 (Bronzeville — the key segment): the silent crash. This is where the marathon is decided. If you've run the previous kilometers at goal pace, this stretch is controlled survival. If you went out hard, this is where you lose 2-4 minutes.
• Km 37-42 (Michigan Avenue + Mt. Roosevelt): the last ones. Mt. Roosevelt at the end is the only real climb of the marathon — barely 40-50 m of ascent, almost a joke compared to any European marathon, but it'll feel like a false hill right when you have no legs. Eat it like any short climb: high cadence, arms. Reward: view of the Sears Tower (Willis Tower) right after and the finish line on Columbus Drive.

• Km 5-10: drink Gatorade Endurance even if you're not thirsty. It's the most underrated aid station.
• Km 22.5 (official Maurten Caf 100 gels): available, but bring your own — official gels have caffeine that may not be what you've trained with.
• Km 30 (Chinatown — official gels): the critical aid station. If you're struggling, walk 20 seconds and rehydrate; you lose less than you'd lose collapsing at km 35.
• Km 35-40: the last 4 stations. If you have glycogen left, skip. If not, drink + a quick gel.

This is where Chicago is decided. Three anchors:

1. Name the next three points: km 35 (Michigan Avenue), km 40 (Roosevelt Road), finish. As long as you have a next point, you keep going.
2. Count down kilometers from km 35: "seven km, six km, last 5K." The brain accepts small numbers better than large distances.
3. Cadence of the feet, not the watch: keep cadence (170-185 spm). The watch can lie; cadence can't.

• Don't stop. Keep walking 10-15 minutes through the finishers' chute in Grant Park. Stopping cold is the recipe for dizziness + cramps.
• Hydrate before eating. Gatorade Endurance + water in the first 10 minutes.
• Thermal blanket: use it. Body temperature drops fast after a marathon, and October in Chicago is cool.
• Very light stretching: hamstrings, calves, quads. 30 seconds each, no bouncing. Better walk easy than stretch aggressively.
• Stop the watch when you cross the finishers' zone, not before. Your official time is by chip.

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The nutritional strategy for Chicago pivots around 60-100 g of carbs per hour depending on goal, with 5-8 gels distributed every 25-30 minutes from km 8 onward. Carb loading over the 3 prior days should be 8-10 g/kg/day, and Saturday dinner should be light and familiar (pasta or white rice). Extra sodium only if the forecast tops 18 °C — rare in October in Chicago.

Saturday dinner is light, familiar, and on the early side (eat before 7 PM — Chicago has pasta restaurants that open early for the marathon). Pasta, white rice with grilled chicken, bread, fruit. Zero experiments with greasy or spicy American cooking. Specific recommendations: Quartino Ristorante, Eataly Chicago, Cantina Laredo (all in River North).

Race morning breakfast depends on whether you wake up hungry. The safe bet: toast with honey/jam + banana + coffee (if you take it regularly). 80-100 g of carbs, eaten 3 hours before the gun. If your stomach closes up with nerves, replace with a sports drink containing 80 g of carbs.

What the organization provides on course:

• 20 liquid aid stations (every ~2 km from km 4 onward). Water and Gatorade Endurance.
• Solid aid at km 22.5 and km 30 — official Maurten Caf 100 gels (caffeine).
• Cold water sponges at least one point if the forecast is warm.
• Post-finish zone: Goose Island beer, fruit, snacks, thermal blanket.

Carb plan by goal:

Three mistakes seen every year at the Chicago Marathon:

• Trying official gels (Maurten Caf 100) for the first time on race day. Carbs are rehearsed in at least 3 prior long runs; gut dysbiosis hits at km 30, not at km 5. Bring your usual gels and use the official ones only as backup.
• Skipping the first 10 km aid stations because "I'm not thirsty." October in Chicago can start at 4 °C and rise to 14 °C in four hours. Drinking early avoids the km 25-32 funnel.
• Trusting only the solid aid at km 22.5 and 30. That's two points in 42 km. Bring your own: 5 gels for sub-4h, 7 for sub-3h.

Hydration and sodium by forecast:

• Cold (<10 °C max): water + Gatorade at aid stations every 5 km. Extra sodium optional from km 25.
• Mild (10-15 °C): Gatorade at every aid station. Electrolyte salt every 60 min from km 15. This is Chicago's typical October range.
• Warm (>18 °C): electrolyte salt every 45 minutes. Carry a 250 ml handheld if you're going slower than 4 h and the forecast is above 22 °C.

Post-finish recovery — the first hour matters more than for the half:

• First 5 minutes: Gatorade at the finish + water.
• 0-30 minutes: thermal blanket + easy walking + second sports drink.
• 30-60 minutes: real food with protein + carbs. Aim for 30 g of protein and 80 g of carbs in this window.
• 2-4 hours later: complete normal meal. The Goose Island celebration beer goes here, not in the first 60 minutes.

The best shoes for the Chicago Marathon are a lightweight carbon plate race shoe for sub-3:30, a protective carbon plate between 3:30-4:00 (Vaporfly 4, Adios Pro 4), and a protective daily trainer for over 4:00 (Pegasus, Cumulus, Ghost). On a flat course, the "energy savings" factor weighs more than "muscular protection" — Chicago rewards the lightweight shoe.

Unlike Madrid or Boston, in Chicago weight matters more than protection because the flat course minimizes accumulated muscle damage. Kiptum's 2:00:35 was set in Nike Alphafly 3; Chepngetich's 2:09:56 in Nike Alphafly 3 Proto. For non-elite runners, a lightweight carbon plate (Vaporfly 4, Adios Pro Evo, Metaspeed Sky) is the optimal choice.

Recommendations by goal:

Check this before leaving home:

• Mileage on your shoes. A carbon plate loses return after 250-350 km. If you used it for your spring marathon and have done long runs in it, it'll arrive worn out for Chicago.
• Drop and footstrike style. Don't drop below your usual drop "to gain 30 seconds" — your soleus and Achilles will charge you for it from km 25 onward.
• Tested in at least two long runs of >25 km. Debuting shoes in a marathon is an expensive mistake.

• Shirt: technical singlet if forecast >12 °C, normal short sleeve if 7-12 °C, light long sleeve if <7 °C. Materials: polyester or fine merino, never cotton.
• Shorts: 5-7" shorts with gel pockets. 3/4 tights if start temperature is <5 °C.
• Socks: thin technical socks, no toe seams, already tested in at least 5 long runs. Cotton socks are the source of half of all blisters.
• Sports bra: high support, already tested on a long run.
• Anti-chafe: Vaseline or BodyGlide on nipples, armpits, groin, bra zone. More marathoners finish with bloody nipples than with cramps.
• Disposable thermal sleeve: especially for October in Chicago. An old shirt or $2 thermal sleeve you ditch at km 5-8 once you warm up.

• GPS watch with >5 h battery. Models with barometric altimeter (Garmin Forerunner 265+, Coros Apex, Apple Watch Ultra) are useful for real elevation (even though Chicago has almost none).
• Pin goal pace + total time on the main screen. GPS distance can come out +1-2 % in downtown Chicago (between Loop skyscrapers, there's multipath error).
• Hydration belt / vest: optional — the 20 aid stations are enough for almost everyone. Only recommended for sub-2:45 runners who want full autonomy.
• Phone: optional. If you bring it, in an arm sleeve or belt pouch.

• Sunglasses: yes, almost always. The low October Chicago sun hits even at 8 °C.
• Cap or visor: optional — only needed if forecast is above 16 °C.
• Disposable thermal sleeve: strongly recommended. Start temperature can be 3-5 °C; by km 5 you're at 8-10 °C running and you ditch it.
• Throwaway layer: an old shirt or thermal sleeve for the 30-45 minutes in the corral.
• Gel belt: to carry 5-7 of your own gels. Don't underestimate the space you need.

Compare with other marathons around the world →

The Chicago Marathon is the best flat course on the WMM calendar, but not the only one. If you're chasing a pure PB, Chicago, Berlin, and Tokyo go head to head; if you want big-crowd atmosphere, NYC and London are superior; if you want historic prestige, Boston rules.

All are marathons (42.195 km), so the choice depends on month, elevation, weather, and what you're after:

See all World Marathon Majors →

Did this guide help? If you're going to run Chicago 2026, save the event in SportPlan to get registration deadline alerts, expo reminders, and afterward, log your result.