Bank of America Chicago Marathon

The Chicago Marathon is the biggest single-day sporting event in the city, and 2026 is its 48th running. According to the organizer, the race falls on Sunday, October 11, 2026, the second Sunday of October, and the application window for entries closed months ago. Wheelchair athletes start at 7:20 a.m., the first wave of runners goes at 7:30 a.m. and the final wave leaves at 8:35 a.m., per a September 2026 NBC Chicago preview, which also put the field at more than 55,000 runners.

The course is flat and fast. It leaves Grant Park, heads north through River North, Old Town, Lincoln Park and Lakeview, turns back south through the Loop and out to the West Loop, Greektown and Pilsen, swings past Chinatown and Bronzeville, then climbs the one real incline on Roosevelt Road before the finish on Columbus Drive. Roads stay closed for six hours and 30 minutes after the last start, so the course reopens to traffic in the mid-afternoon.

Watching is free and needs no ticket. The Abbott Health and Fitness Expo, where runners pick up bibs, opens on October 8, according to NBC Chicago. If you are not running, the most reliable spectator spots are the neighborhood stretches: Broadway in Lakeview, Franklin Street in the Loop, 18th Street in Pilsen and Wentworth Avenue in Chinatown all get big crowds and music.

Plan your visit

Take the L. Red and Blue Line trains stop at Jackson and Monroe a few blocks from the start; the Brown, Orange, Green, Pink and Purple Lines stop at Adams/Wabash. Downtown streets around Grant Park close from before dawn, and Metra and CTA run extra service. Do not drive to the start; garages on Michigan Avenue fill and many exits are blocked until the afternoon. The first hour after 7:30 a.m. is the most crowded near Columbus Drive; neighborhood spots like Broadway at Belmont or 18th Street in Pilsen are easier to reach and easier to leave. Bring layers, a phone battery and a plan to meet your runner away from the finish chute, which is fenced off to spectators.