Chicago Marathon training plan for October 10, 2027
A free 16-week marathon plan for the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10, 2027: four runs a week, peaking at 42 miles with two 20-mile long runs. To finish on race week, start on Monday, June 21, 2027 (July 19 for 12 weeks, May 24 for 20). Chicago is flat, so train for even pacing.
When to start, by plan length
Each start date is a Monday that lines the plan's race week up with the week of the race, October 4 to 10, 2027.
| Plan | Start on |
|---|---|
| 20 weeks | Monday, May 24, 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday, June 21, 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday, July 19, 2027 |
Source: Runsy plan lengths; race date from the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Checked 11 October 2026.
Date this plan to October 10, 2027
Your plan · free preview
Marathon plan
Intermediate · 4 runs a week
Fitting the plan to your race date…
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| Week | Phase | Sessions | Long run | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | base |
| Long run9.9mi | Total22mi |
| Week 2 | base |
| Long run11mi | Total24mi |
| Week 3 | base |
| Long run12mi | Total27mi |
| Week 4 | cutback |
| Long run8.7mi | Total19mi |
| Week 5 | build |
| Long run14mi | Total30mi |
| Week 6 | build |
| Long run15mi | Total32mi |
| Week 7 | build |
| Long run16mi | Total35mi |
| Week 8 | cutback |
| Long run11mi | Total24mi |
| Week 9 | build |
| Long run17mi | Total38mi |
| Week 10 | build |
| Long run19mi | Total41mi |
| Week 11 | peak |
| Long run20mi | Total42mi |
| Week 12 | peak |
| Long run20mi | Total42mi |
| Week 13 | taper |
| Long run13mi | Total27mi |
| Week 14 | taper |
| Long run8.7mi | Total19mi |
| Week 15 | taper |
| Long run5.6mi | Total12mi |
| Week 16 | race |
| Long run26.2mi | Total31mi |
How the plan is built
This is our 16-week intermediate marathon plan, the same weeks, dated to the race. It assumes a marathon behind you, a target time in mind and four running days a week.
- Base, weeks 1 to 3: 35 to 27 miles a week, with a long run of 16 to 12 miles.
- Cutbacks in weeks 4 and 8: the week drops to 30 and 24 miles so the training before it can land.
- Build and peak, weeks 5 to 12: up to 42 miles in weeks 11 and 12, with two 20-mile long runs.
- Taper, weeks 13 to 15: 44, then 30, then 12 miles. Race week has two short runs before race day.
Every week has one tempo run on Thursday until the taper. If four days is too many, the beginner version runs three days and peaks at 32 miles; the advanced plan runs five and peaks at 53 miles.
What the Chicago course asks of the plan
What the course and the organizer tell you, and what it means for training:
- It is flat. The organizer calls it flat and fast, and the USA Track and Field certificate puts the finish about 2 m higher than the start. Your training should rehearse one steady pace, not hills.
- It starts early. In 2026 Wave 1 went at 7:35 a.m. Central. Do your long runs in the morning.
- Your watch may disagree with the course. The organizer warns that the distance on your device may differ from the official markers. Learn your goal pace by feel, not just by the screen.
- There is a time limit. 6 hours 30 minutes, a 15-minute mile.
Entry first: 2027 applications close at 2 p.m. Central on October 29, 2026, and drawing results arrive by email on December 8. See the Chicago Marathon drawing and the qualifying times for a guaranteed place.
Adapting the plan for Chicago
This is Runsy's coaching advice, not the organizer's.
- Make the Thursday tempo a goal-pace rehearsal. From week 5, run part of each tempo at marathon goal pace on flat ground. On race day that pace has to feel automatic for 26 miles.
- Most of your long runs fall in July and August. A June 21 start puts the peak weeks, 11 and 12, at August 30 to September 12. Run the long ones early in the morning, and carry fluids.
- Practise the gels you will race with. The organizer's 2026 course page lists gels at miles 12.4 and 18.1; if you plan to use them, use the same kind in long runs.
Your goal pace per km and per mile is in the marathon pace chart.
This plan, but it adapts
This page is a fixed plan, and every fixed plan assumes you complete it. Runsy rebuilds the weeks around the runs you actually did. $12.99/mo after a 7-day free trial. iPhone only.
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$12.99/mo after a 7-day free trialiPhone only
$12.99/mo after a 7-day free trialiPhone only
Fair questions
When should I start training for the 2027 Chicago Marathon?
For the race on Sunday, October 10, 2027: Monday, June 21, 2027 for a 16-week plan, May 24 for 20 weeks, or July 19 for 12 weeks. Each date lines the plan's race week up with the week of October 4.
How do you train for the Chicago Marathon?
Build to a steady goal pace on a flat course. This plan runs four days a week, peaks at 42 miles in weeks 11 and 12 with two 20-mile long runs, and tapers for three weeks. Because Chicago is flat (about 2 m of net rise on its USATF certificate), rehearse goal pace in the Thursday tempo rather than hills.
How much does it cost to run the Chicago Marathon?
For 2027 the organizer lists $250 for U.S. residents and $260 for non-U.S. residents on non-charity entries, plus a processing fee. Charity entries are $325 and $335.
Is a 16-week plan enough for the Chicago Marathon?
For a runner with a marathon behind them, yes: that is what this plan assumes. If you are newer, start the 20-week version on May 24, 2027, or use the beginner plan.