Chicago Marathon route and course map
The Chicago Marathon route mile by mile from Grant Park through 29 neighborhoods: about 2 m of net rise, 2026 start waves, aid stations and pacing.
The Chicago Marathon is a loop that starts and finishes in Grant Park and passes through 29 neighborhoods: out to Sheridan Road and Broadway by mile 9, along Adams Street to Damen Avenue, and down to 35th Street at mile 24. It is flat: the USATF certificate puts the finish about 2 m higher than the start.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Chicago, IL
Race day
Sunday, October 10, 2027
52weeks to go · 364 days
- Distance
- Marathon
- Net climb
- 2m7 ft
Verified Oct 11, 2026 from chicagomarathon.com
The Chicago Marathon course, mile by mile
Streets by mile from the organizer's 2026 street-closure list. The organizer notes the course map is subject to change; the 2027 map is not out yet.
| Mile | Streets |
|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Dr. from the start to Grand Ave.; Grand Ave. to Dearborn St. |
| 2 | Dearborn St. from Grand Ave. to Jackson Blvd. |
| 3 to 5 | Jackson Blvd. to LaSalle St.; LaSalle St. from Jackson Blvd. to Stockton Dr. |
| 6 to 7 | Stockton Dr., Fullerton Dr. and Cannon Dr.; Sheridan Rd. from Diversey Pkwy. to Belmont Ave. |
| 8 to 9 | Inner Lakeshore Dr. from Belmont Ave.; Sheridan Rd. to Broadway; Broadway to Briar Pl. |
| 10 to 11 | Broadway to Diversey Pkwy.; Clark St. to Webster Ave.; Webster Ave. and Sedgwick St. to North Ave. |
| 12 to 13 | North Ave. to Wells St.; Wells St. from North Ave. to Wacker Dr.; Wacker Dr. to Adams St. |
| 14 to 17 | Adams St. from Wacker Dr. to Damen Ave.; Damen Ave.; Jackson Blvd. from Damen Ave. to Halsted St. |
| 18 to 20 | Halsted St. to Taylor St.; Taylor St. to Loomis St.; Loomis St. to 18th St.; 18th St. to Halsted St. |
| 20 to 21 | Halsted St. to 21st St.; 21st St. to Canalport Ave.; Canalport Ave. to Cermak Rd.; Cermak Rd. to Wentworth Ave. |
| 22 to 23 | Wentworth Ave. from Cermak Rd. to 26th St.; 26th St. to Michigan Ave. |
| 24 | Michigan Ave. from 26th St. to 35th St.; 35th St. to Indiana Ave.; Indiana Ave. to 31st St. |
| 25 to 26.2 | 31st St. to Michigan Ave.; Michigan Ave. to Roosevelt Rd.; Roosevelt Rd. to Columbus Dr.; finish on Columbus Dr. |
Source: Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Street Closures. Checked 11 October 2026.
Elevation: flat, and certified that way
The organizer calls the course flat and fast and says it has produced seven world records. It does not publish an elevation-gain figure. The USA Track and Field certificate does give a number: IL23038NM lists a drop of -0.05 m per km, which means the finish is about 2 m higher than the start over 42.195 km. A second active certificate, IL23026NM, carries the same figures.
For a qualifier, that is as good as it gets: an accurate, certified, essentially level course. See what a Chicago time is worth against the Chicago qualifying times and the Boston standards.
Start times
The 2026 schedule. The organizer has not published 2027 start times yet.
| Start |
|---|
| Start corrals open |
| Men's professional wheelchair |
| Women's professional wheelchair |
| Handcycles |
| Professional men and women |
| Wave 1 |
| Wave 2 |
| Wave 3 |
Source: Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Participant Information. Checked 11 October 2026.
How to pace the Chicago Marathon
This section is Runsy's advice, not the organizer's.
- Run even splits. On a course this level there is no hill to excuse a slow mile and no descent to bank time on. The pace you can hold at mile 22 is the pace to run at mile 2.
- Trust the mile markers, not your watch. The organizer says the distance on your watch or phone may differ from the course markers. If your watch says you are on pace and the markers say you are not, the markers decide your finish time.
- Miles 1 to 13: do not get pulled along. The first half ends on Wacker Drive at mile 13, before the course turns out along Adams Street. Time banked early in a big field costs you after mile 20.
- Miles 14 to 26 are where the race is. After Adams Street the course runs out to Damen Avenue and then down to 35th Street. Take the gels at miles 12.4 and 18.1 if you trained with them.
- Know your start. In 2026 Wave 1 corrals closed at 7:20 a.m., 15 minutes before the 7:35 start. Arrive early enough to get through gear check and into your corral.
Get your splits from the marathon pace chart, or check what a recent race predicts with the race time predictor.
Running Chicago on October 10, 2027?
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Aid stations, fuel and the time limit
From the organizer's 2026 course page:
- Aid stations: 20, about one to two miles apart, each with medical, toilets, Gatorade and water.
- Gels: Maurten depots at mile 12.4 (near aid station 9) and mile 18.1 (near aid station 14). Bananas at aid stations 16 to 18, miles 20.2 to 23.
- Water refill stations: just before aid stations 4, 7, 12 and 16 (miles 5.7, 10.1, 15.7 and 20.3), for approved self-carried bottles and soft flasks.
- Time limit: 6 hours 30 minutes, a 15-minute mile. Slower than that and you will be moved to the sidewalk as streets reopen.
- Clocks: finish clocks show each wave's elapsed time, so your own time depends on when you crossed the start.
Entry for 2027 runs through the Chicago Marathon application and drawing, open until 2 p.m. Central on October 29, 2026.
Train for a flat 26.2, by the mile markers
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Fair questions
What time does the Chicago Marathon start?
In 2026 the professional field started at 7:30 a.m. Central, Wave 1 at 7:35, Wave 2 at 8:00 and Wave 3 at 8:35. Start corrals opened at 5:30 a.m. The 2027 schedule is not published yet.
How much elevation gain is in the Chicago Marathon?
The organizer calls the course flat and fast but publishes no elevation-gain figure. The USATF certificate (IL23038NM) lists a drop of -0.05 m per km, so the finish is about 2 m higher than the start over the full distance.
Is the Chicago Marathon a loop?
Yes. The organizer describes it as a looped tour of 29 neighborhoods that starts and finishes in Grant Park. The first half ends on Wacker Drive at mile 13, and the second half heads out along Adams Street to Damen Avenue.
What streets are closed for the Chicago Marathon?
Every street on the course. In 2026 the organizer said course streets close from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and reopen as the final runners pass at a 15-minute mile pace, and it publishes a mile-by-mile closure list on its street closures page.
What is the Chicago Marathon time limit?
6 hours 30 minutes, which the organizer equates to a 15-minute mile. Runners slower than that are moved to the sidewalk as streets reopen and may not be recorded as official finishers.