Chicago Marathon

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon takes place in Cook County, Illinois, on a course known for being nearly flat, with only a handful of feet of elevation change. It has been part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors since 2006 and serves as a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. The event offers a single distance, the marathon (26.2 miles), held each October. The race starts and finishes in Grant Park, following an urban loop through 29 of the city's neighborhoods, including Greektown, Little Italy, Pilsen, and Chinatown. The course has been the site of several world records, including Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 in 2023 and Ruth Chepngetich's 2:09:57 in 2024. Huge crowds line the route, which winds through urban architecture shaped by the rebuilding after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.