Chicago vs New York: The Two American Majors Compared

Chicago and New York are both American Majors with huge fields and even bigger applicant pools, and completely different odds. Chicago's lottery accepts roughly 25% of applicants, Chicago Event Management's own published estimate. New York's general drawing accepts about 1%, the tightest published rate of any Major. Here is how the two actually compare.

How many people applied to each?

Chicago's 2026 lottery drew more than 200,000 applications, a new event record, up from 160,000 the year before, for a field Chicago Event Management frames at roughly 55,000 total places. New York's 2026 drawing drew more than 240,000 applications from over 160 countries, also a record, a near 20% jump on 2025, against a similarly sized field of about 55,000. Both races posted their biggest-ever applicant pool in the same year.

What are the actual odds?

Chicago states a number outright: roughly 25%, the best odds of the legacy five Majors. New York does too, and it is far tighter: about 1% through the general drawing, with a member-only second-chance drawing for eligible non-finishers accepting up to 2%. Both figures come straight from the organizer, unlike London's, which has gone unpublished for its own record 2027 ballot. Chicago's odds and New York's odds each have their own year-by-year breakdown.

What does each course look like?

Chicago is a flat loop through 29 neighborhoods, starting and finishing in Grant Park, typically 5 to 20°C on race morning with variable conditions. New York is the largest marathon on earth by field size, a rolling five-borough route from Staten Island through Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan, finishing in Central Park, usually a cooler 5 to 13°C. Chicago is generally regarded as the flatter, faster course of the two; New York's bridges and borough changes make for a tougher profile.

What does each cost?

Chicago charges $250 for US residents and $260 for international entrants once selected. New York charges $255 for NYRR members and $315 for non-members. Charity routes cost more at both: Chicago's minimum starts at $1,750 through official partners, while New York's range from $2,500 to $5,000 depending on the partner.

Which one is harder to get into?

By the numbers, New York, and it is not close. A published 1% rate against Chicago's 25% makes New York roughly 25 times harder to win through the general pool, even with a comparable applicant count. Chicago also offers a lottery-free path: a time-qualifier standard of 2:50 for men and 3:20 for women in the 18 to 34 age band, easing for older age groups. New York's guaranteed routes work differently, built on the 9+1 program (nine qualifying races plus one volunteer shift), 15-plus career finishes, and tour operator bookings, rather than a single fast qualifying time. Neither city offers a Boston-style path where speed alone buys a bib outright. The Marathon Ballot Simulator models both races' odds across repeated entries. Full histories: Chicago and its 2026 lottery results, New York and its 2026 drawing results.

Which one should you target first?

If speed is your strength, Chicago's time-qualifier route is the more attainable of the two fast-track options, and its 25% lottery odds beat New York's by a wide margin either way. If you already have New York's 9+1 requirement in hand or a charity fundraising minimum you can clear, that guaranteed route beats gambling on a 1% general drawing. Both cities are flat by Major standards and both draw the same October-to-November crowd, so the choice usually comes down to odds tolerance and which guaranteed route fits your running history.

Sources: Chicago Event Management: Apply, New York Road Runners: 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Drawing record