SKECHERS Hot Chocolate Run Chicago

The Chicago edition of the Hot Chocolate Run returns on November 1, 2026, with the 5K, 10K and 15K all starting at 7:30 a.m. and the two-mile walk following at about 9:15 a.m., according to the organizer. The start and finish are in Grant Park at 301 S. Columbus Drive, and the course loops through downtown past City Hall, the Board of Trade, McCormick Place, Soldier Field and the Field Museum.

Finishers get the race’s signature mug of Ghirardelli hot cocoa and chocolate fondue with dippables at the post-race party in the park. Registration is online through the organizer; prices rise in stages through the fall, so later sign-ups pay more. Packet pickup is at the free expo at McCormick Place West, 2317 S. Indiana Avenue, on Friday, October 30 (noon to 7 p.m.) and Saturday, October 31 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). There is no race-day packet pickup, and mailed packets have an October 11 deadline.

The organizer says 2026 course maps and the entertainment lineup were still to be posted as of late September, so check the race site the week before for corral and gear-check details.

Plan your visit

Take the CTA: Red Line to Harrison or Jackson, or Metra Electric and South Shore trains to Van Buren Street, then walk east into Grant Park. Columbus Drive and nearby streets close early Sunday morning, and the organizer steers drivers to Navy Pier and River North garages with a long walk south, so leave the car if you can. Dress in layers you can shed and carry a bag that fits the gear check; the finish area is crowded from about 8:30 a.m. onward.