Chicago Marathon 2026

So, here you have to imagine a course that is flat, VERY flat ✨. Forget about murderous elevations, mountain switchbacks or suffocating altitude ❌. Here we take off for Illinois City, right in the heart of Cook County, to cook tackle the legendary Bank of America Chicago Marathon 🏆. This monument (if the word is appropriate) of running is a prominent member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors since 2006, the World Marathon Majors Qualifiers and also the Boston Marathon qualifying races 🏃‍♂️. WOW that's something! It's scheduled for October with a program that is, at least, quite effective 👌. There's one and only distance, the queen of running: 42.195 km. Not a centimeter more or less, on asphalt so flat that it's suspected to have been ironed out 🤣. It's simple, with only a few meters of variation, it's the ideal playground for a stratospheric performance 🚀.

Moreover, the course is a true love letter to the "Windy City" 💌. The start and finish take place with fanfare at Grant Park : the green lung of the city 🌳. Quickly, you'll set off on a stunning urban loop, filled with straight lines that weave through no less than 29 neighborhoods rich in history 📖, and also the waterfront 😉. In this course, expertise lies in pure speed: this is where history is written ⚡️. Like in 2023, when Kelvin Kiptum set the men's marathon world record in 2h 00min 35s. Yes, yes, he did run the 42.195 km in 2 hours, you're not dreaming… 🙀 But that's not all, because in 2024, Ruth Chepngetich set the women's world record in Chicago in 2h 9min 57s 😳. You understand that it's a bit like the Fast & Furious of the marathon ⏱️. In total, 4 world records have been set on this track (including those of wheelchair runners, both men and women) 👩‍🦽. And since the course changes very little if at all, it's probably not about to stop... 🌟

So, sure, this marathon welcomes records galore, but it also makes it a very accessible marathon 🙌. With so little elevation, anyone can come and test themselves on these typical American streets. But that's not all, Chicago is also a cultural immersion worthy of a Scorsese film or the Blues Brothers 🤝. Along the course, you'll pass through areas with strong identities such as Greek Town, Little Italy, Pilsen, and Chinatown 🇨🇳. Yes, in addition to being in the United States, you're also taking a little "world tour" in sneakers! 🌎 Since there, it's always more, as for the atmosphere, you'll be carried away by an unforgettable fervor 📣. Imagine: 1.7 million spectators shouting your name, DJs at every street corner, and American hospitality 🇺🇸. You'll start to feel like the star of the Super Bowl at this pace 🏉. And to get back to something more serious, between two dreams strides 🏃‍♀️, you'll admire the avant-garde architecture born from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 🏗️.

For companions or your finisher legs (if they are still functional 🤥) after the effort, the city is full of treasures ⭐️. Yes, with all that, we almost forget the magical place where this competition takes place 📍. Chicago isn't somewhere you find yourself every day 🙃. You can stroll near the Buckingham Fountain ⛲️, greet the "Bean" (Cloud Gate) or clear your head facing the vastness of Lake Michigan 🪷. Watch your neck, as it will start to strain given the total number of skyscrapers of immense size surrounding you 👀. Once you've got the medal around your neck, don't forget to collect the numerous gifts reserved for you 🎁. It’s well known that over there, when you're a marathon finisher 🏅, if you walk around with your medal, you might get lots of freebies. So a piece of advice, find out about the Chicago merchants, you could get: donuts, cookies, beers, tacos… 🌮 And all that for free! Well, almost, because you will still be a bit legless 🤕.

So, ready to breeze through your records in the city of wind? See you at Chicago-go-goooo 💨