16°
Mostly sunny
HI 20°
LO 12°
Mild and dry · Kiplimo ran 2:02:23 to set a Ugandan record
Chicago Marathon
A flat, fast loop through 29 neighborhoods. Ruth Chepngetich set the women's WR here in 2024.
First run 1977. Chicago has hosted multiple world records; Ruth Chepngetich set the women's marathon world record of 2:09:56 here in 2024. Chicago offers the best lottery odds of the legacy five Majors at roughly 25%, and also accepts time qualifiers.
Ballot opens
Oct 21, 2025
Window opens · free to enter
Passed
Ballot closes
Nov 18, 2025
Last day to submit
Passed
Draw / results
Dec 11, 2025
Winners notified
Passed
Race day
Oct 11, 2026
October 11, 2026
Next up
CLOSED NOV 18, 2025 · NEXT YEAR'S WINDOW TBD
Climate
Past three years on race day
Historical conditions on the course, what to expect, what to pack.
13°
Sunny
HI 17°
LO 8°
Cool, dry, sunny · classic Chicago fall day for racing
9°
Cloudy
HI 13°
LO 7°
Kiptum’s 2:00:35 world record day · 8°C at start, dry, calm wind
Course·
Loop through 29 neighborhoods, start & finish in Grant Park
Grant Park → Grant Park
Cool, variable, 5–20°C
Elevation
Course profile
Pancake flat, minimal elevation change across the loop through 29 neighborhoods. Wind off Lake Michigan is the variable that decides fast days from grind days.
Total ascent·16m
Total descent·18m
Highest point·183m @ 37 km
PAST RESULTS
Ballot history
The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon ballot drew 200,000 applications. Browse every year's breakdown below.
2026 · Record
200,000
The largest ballot in race history. A 25% jump on 2025's 160K figure.
View 2026 results →
Applications · 2022 → 2026
80K86K123K160K200K
'22'23'24'25'26
2026
→
200,000
Acceptance unknown
48TH EDITION
2025
→
160,000
Acceptance ~33.0%
47TH EDITION
2024
→
123,000
Acceptance ~40.7%
46TH EDITION
2023
→
86,000
Acceptance unknown
45TH EDITION
2022
→
80,000
Acceptance unknown
44TH EDITION
2021
→
—
Acceptance unknown
43RD EDITION
CHARITY PLACES
Charity places
The non-ballot route in. Bank of America Chicago Marathon has 26 official charity partners, with fundraising minimums starting at $1,500 (Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Children) and rising to $4,000+ for the highest-demand partners. Applications open Oct, right after ballot results.
Partners
26
12 cause areas
Min from
$1,500
up to $4,000
Apps open
Oct
after ballot
Apps close
Oct
most earlier
AR
Browse all charity partners
→
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Children
$1,500min raise
Closed
CO
Camp One Step (Team One Step, Children's Oncology Services)
Children
$1,500min raise
Waitlist
LL
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (Team In Training)
Cancer
$2,100min raise
Closed
LC
La Casa Norte (Team La Casa Norte)
Homelessness
$2,100min raise
Waitlist
PC
PAWS Chicago
Animals
$2,200min raise
Status unknown
TB
Team Boomer (Boomer Esiason Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis)
Health
$2,200min raise
Waitlist
Photos
On the course
Scenes from the 2025 edition, the Grant Park finish and the crowds through the neighbourhoods.
Finish · 2025
Crowd · 2025
FAQ
Common questions
When is the 2026 Chicago Marathon?
The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon runs on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Chicago is a flat loop through 29 neighborhoods, starting and finishing in Grant Park.
What are the odds of getting into the Chicago Marathon lottery?
Approximately 25%, the best lottery odds of the legacy five Abbott World Marathon Majors. The 2026 lottery opens October 21, 2025 and closes November 18, 2025, with the draw on December 11, 2025.
What is the Chicago Marathon entry fee for 2026?
$250 USD for US residents, $260 USD for non-US residents. The fee is charged to winning applicants after the lottery draw, unsuccessful entrants are not charged.
Can I enter Chicago without the lottery?
Yes. Time qualifiers of 3:05 (men) and 3:35 (women) guarantee entry. Charity partners offer bibs at a $1,750+ fundraising minimum. International tour operators also sell guaranteed-entry travel packages.
Has a world record been set at the Chicago Marathon?
Yes. Chicago has hosted multiple world records; most recently, Ruth Chepngetich set the women's marathon world record of 2:09:56 here in October 2024, becoming the first woman under 2:10.