The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is just weeks away and it promises to bring an exciting lineup of athletes to the city’s streets.
Whether you’re running, cheering or just trying to get around, there’s plenty you should know ahead of race day.
Here’s what to expect:
When is the 2026 Chicago Marathon?
The Chicago Marathon returns on Oct. 11.
Meanwhile, the three-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo, hosted at McCormick Place, will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 8 and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 9-10.
On Oct. 10, Grant Park will host the Abbott Chicago 5k to kick off the day before the marathon.
What time is the Chicago Marathon?
The first racers will begin with the men’s wheelchair start at 7:20 a.m. on race day.
The race features both amateur and professional runners, and start times are staggered, so runners will cross the finish line at varying points throughout the day.
The course has a time limit of 6 hours and 30 minutes before the roads will re-open to vehicles. In order to complete the full distance, runners must maintain an average pace of 15 minutes per mile.
Here’s the full schedule:
Men’s Professional Wheelchair Start: 7:20 a.m. Women’s Professional Wheelchair Start: 7:21 a.m. Handcycle Start: 7:23 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Professional Start: 7:30 a.m. High Performance Program Start: 7:32: a.m. Wave 1 Start: 7:35 a.m. Wave 2 Start: 8:00 a.m. Wave 3 Start: 8:35 a.m. Grant Park opens to spectators: 9:30 a.m. 27th Mile Post-Race Party starts: 9:30 a.m. 27th Mile Post-Race Party ends: 4:00 p.m.2026 Chicago Marathon Course
The Chicago Marathon course is often recognized for being flat and fast, with the race starting and finishing in Grant Park and traveling through 29 city neighborhoods.
How can you watch the race live?
Extensive coverage of the Chicago Marathon begins at 7 a.m. on race day and can be viewed right here in the player above, as well as on NBC 5, NBC Chicago’s YouTube channel and on NBC Chicago’s 24/7 streaming channel, NBC 5 Chicago News, available on Peacock, Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity, and FreeVee.
An exclusive finish line camera will stream on NBCChicago.com and the NBC 5 Chicago News Streaming Channel from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow runners’ friends and family watch them finish the marathon live.
A Spanish-language broadcast of the race can be found on TelemundoChicago.com and in the Telemundo Chicago app.
Where are the best places to cheer?
Thousands of spectators will line the course to watch top athletes compete or cheer on loved ones as they complete the marathon.
Spectators will not be able to gather near the course’s start or finish lines, as those areas will be restricted to participants and ticketed guests. Still, fans are encouraged to cheer on athletes throughout the race.
“Words of encouragement and cheers of support from spectators have helped thousands of participants cross the finish line at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon,” reads the marathon’s website. “Your energy and inspiration make a difference!”
For spectators looking to join groups of fans while cheering on runners, the marathon has created several cheer zones throughout the course.
List of street closures
A full list of planned street closures is expected to be released at a later date.
What does the medal look like?
The 2026 medal was revealed Monday, with this year’s design featuring a look at the Chicago skyline behind the LaSalle Street Bridge.
“This iconic view is one you’ll see for yourself on race day as you make your fourth of six Chicago River crossings,” the marathon captioned its reveal. “While running down Wells Street, look to your left to see the view you’ll proudly display for years to come.”
The back of the medal includes the names of the 29 neighborhoods runners race through along the course.
Who’s running the marathon?
The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon elite athlete lineup will feature one of the race’s fastest finishers returning to defend his title alongside three other competitors looking for repeat victories as they face off against “one of the deepest fields in race history.”
Race organizers announced Thursday that last year’s champion, Jacob Kiplimo, who finished with the second-fastest performance in Chicago Marathon history in 2025, will join defending women’s champion Hawi Feysa in going for another victorious October finish.
But they’ll be up against some of marathon racing’s biggest stars.
Wheelchair powerhouse Marcel Hug, aka the “Silver Bullet,” will look to continue an historic victory streak in Chicago, having won his last four races in the city, even setting a course record in 2023. But he’ll face his biggest Windy City rival Daniel Romanchuk, the only other man to finish with a victory in the men’s wheelchair division in the last 10 years.
Defending women’s wheelchair champion Susannah Scaroni took the 2026 race off to welcome her first child, but three other women who have won the division since 2015 will battle for their chance at another medal. That includes nine-time champion Tatyana McFadden and two-time champions Manuela Schär and Catherine Debrunner.
See the full elite lineup here.
In total, more than 55,000 runners are expected to hit the pavement for this year’s race.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Hence then, the article about the bank of america chicago marathon is less than 1 month away here s what to expect was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is less than 1 month away. Here's what to expect )
Also on site :