Time Standard & Charity
Chicago, IL, USA
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The Chicago Marathon features a fast, flat course that winds through 29 diverse neighborhoods. Starting and finishing in Grant Park along Lake Michigan, runners experience the city's stunning skyline and passionate neighborhood cheering sections.
Application Period (guaranteed and non-guaranteed) Registration: October 8, 2026 (8am CT) – October 29, 2026 (2pm CT) | Drawing results: December 8, 2026 Entry fee: $250 (U.S. residents) / $260 (non-U.S. residents), plus processing fees. Payment due November 10 for guaranteed entrants, December 15 for drawing winners. Minimum age: 16. Apply: https://www.chicagomarathon.com/apply/ Non-Guaranteed Drawing Free to apply; runners are picked at random from the full applicant pool. Time Qualifier (guaranteed) Marathon run January 1, 2025 – October 29, 2026 on a certified course. Standards (men / women and non-binary): 16–34: 2:50 / 3:20 • 35–39: 2:55 / 3:25 • 40–44: 3:00 / 3:30 • 45–49: 3:10 / 3:40 • 50–54: 3:15 / 3:50 • 55–59: 3:25 / 3:55 • 60–64: 3:40 / 4:15 • 65–69: 3:55 / 4:30 • 70–74: 4:15 / 4:45 • 75–79: 4:30 / 5:00 • 80+: 4:50 / 5:20 Legacy Finisher (guaranteed) Five or more Chicago Marathon finishes in the last 10 years (2016 onward; registered 2020 participants count as finishers). Other guaranteed routes • Chicago Distance Series: finish the 2026 Shamrock Shuffle 8K, Chicago 13.1, and Chicago Marathon • 2026 cancelled entry: runners who cancelled their 2026 entry under the standard policy (new entry fee required) • Pregnancy & postpartum: runners who cancelled under this exemption (entry fee waived) • High Performance Program: sub 2:25 men / 2:45 women and non-binary (masters: 2:35 / 2:50); capped at 300, closes September 1, 2027 Charity Raise at least $2,500; entry fee $325 (U.S.) / $335 (non-U.S.). First-come, first-served through September 10, 2027. Details: https://www.chicagomarathon.com/apply/charity-program/ Tour Operators Travel packages with guaranteed entry through official international tour partners, open December 8, 2026 – August 10, 2027.
A looped course that starts and finishes in Grant Park (start at Columbus and Monroe Drive, finish on Columbus south of Balbo) and runs through 29 neighborhoods. It's famously flat and fast. Seven world records have been set here, and the only real climb is the short Roosevelt Road rise ("Mount Roosevelt") just before the finish. Start times (2026): Wheelchair 7:20am | Professional 7:30am | Wave 1 7:35am | Wave 2 8:00am | Wave 3 8:35am Time limit: 6 hours 30 minutes (about 15:00/mile) Aid stations: 20, roughly every 1–2 miles, plus Maurten fuel at miles 12.4 and 18.1 Course map (2026): https://cdn.chicagomarathon.com/app/uploads/2026/08/24120143/26-BACM-COURSE-MAP-PRINT.pdf Course details: https://www.chicagomarathon.com/event-info/participant-information/course/
2025 race (October 12, 2025) Weather: about 11°C (51°F) and clear at the start, warming to about 16–18°C (61–64°F) by early afternoon. Dry and sunny with light southeasterly winds. Winners: Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 2:02:23, a Ugandan national record; Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:14:56. Wheelchair: Marcel Hug 1:23:20, Susannah Scaroni 1:38:14. Conner Mantz ran 2:04:43 for fourth, a North American record. Demand: a record 160,000 applications; about 53,000 runners expected to finish.
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Expected Weather
45–60°F · Typical range