How to watch the 2024 Chicago Marathon

For nearly five decades, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon has been a destination for runners of all ages and abilities from around the world, and a record number of participants is expected for the 2024 edition on October 13.

The 46th edition of the famed race is scheduled to begin around 8:20 a.m. Eastern/7:20 a.m. CDT, with the first wave of approximately 50,000 participants setting off from the starting line in Grant Park. More than 48,000 people took part in the record-breaking event in 2023.

First held in 1905, the Chicago Marathon has grown into one of the five largest races in the world (in terms of finishers), attracting athletes from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries during the second week of October each year.

The race had a brief existence until the 1920s and the modern version took shape in 1977 as racing in major cities became increasingly popular. The resurgence came a year after the first New York City Marathon (1976).

Over the years, the Chicago Marathon has earned a reputation for its fast times, largely due to the flatness of the course and low elevation.

The course once again takes participants on a 26.2 mile journey past many of Chicago’s iconic landmarks (buildings, parks, stadiums, museums and more) and through more than two dozen picturesque and diverse Windy City neighborhoods with the streets of the familiar Loop lined with more than a million enthusiastic spectators.

The annual Chicago Marathon features top world record runners, wheelchair racers and recreational athletes, all ready to compete in three waves. The race begins and ends in Grant Park.

The race has a time limit of six hours and 30 minutes, with participants averaging 15 minutes per mile. Anyone who does not meet the allotted time will not receive any credit for completing the race.

The week also includes a health and fitness fair and a special five-kilometer run where others can experience a run through the streets of Chicago.

For the official website of the 2024 Chicago Marathon, click HERE.

The previous winner will be honored at the 2024 Chicago Marathon

Emotions will be high and hearts heavy at the 2024 Chicago Marathon because the race will be missing 2023 men’s champion Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya, who crossed the finish line last year in a world record time of 2:00.35.

At 23, Kiptum became the poster child of long-distance running and was considered a legitimate candidate to become the first athlete to complete a marathon in under two hours.

Kiptum, who also won the London Marathon in 2023, was a favorite in every race he competed in, including the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, but he never got the opportunity to challenge his record on the sport’s biggest stage break.

The 24-year-old died in a car accident at home in Kenya in February 2024 along with his coach Gervais Hakizimana.

A moment of silence is planned at the start of the 2024 Chicago Marathon and all participants will wear a commemorative sticker in Kiptum’s honor.

Elite competitors aiming to break Kiptum’s record in Chicago include Kenyans Amos Kipruto and Vincent Ngetich, Ethiopian Birhanu Legese, Japan’s Kyohei Hosoya and Toshiki Sadakata, and Americans Shadrack Kipchirchir and CJ Albertson.

The women’s winner of the 2023 Chicago Marathon was Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who finished the race in 2:13:44, the second fastest time in history. Hassan won the gold medal in the marathon and bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the 2024 Olympics.

Since Hassan will not take part in the 2024 Chicago Marathon, Ethiopian Sutume Kebede, the winner of this year’s Tokyo Marathon, is considered the first favorite.

Kebede will be joined by last year’s Chicago Marathon runner-up Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who won the race in 2021 and 2022.

Other top contenders include Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei, Americans Keira D’Amato, Emma Bates, Sara Hall and Annie Frisbie.

How to watch the 2024 Chicago Marathon

For those in the United States, the 2024 Chicago Marathon will be broadcast live on FloTrack.

FloTrack also provides results, editorial content and more.

The race will also be broadcast locally on NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and live on Olympics.com, while a number of other global partners will broadcast the action to all corners of the world.

Chicago Marathon 2024 Schedule

All Times Central

Thursday, October 10th

Abbott Health & Fitness Expo; Pick up packages
McCormick Place, Lakeside Center, Hall D
11 a.m. – 6 p.m

Friday, October 11th

Abbott Health & Fitness Expo; Pick up packages
McCormick Place, Lakeside Center, Hall D
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m

Saturday, October 12th

Abbott Chicago 5K Open a dialog
Grant Park (Ida B. Wells Drive between Columbus Drive and Michigan Avenue)
7:30am

Abbott Health & Fitness Expo; Pick up packages
McCormick Place, Lakeside Center, Hall D
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m

Sunday, October 13th

Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Grant Park

• 5:30 a.m. – Grant Park opens to runners
• 5:30am – Equipment check begins
• 5:30 a.m. – Opening of the starting pens
• 7:20 a.m. – Close the start corral for wave 1
• 7:20 a.m. – Marathon wheelchair start (men)
• 7:21 a.m. – Marathon wheelchair start (women)
• 7:23am – Handcycle start
• 7:30 a.m. – Start of the first wave (Corrals A, B, C, D and E)
• 7:45 a.m. – Close the start corral for wave 2
• 8 a.m. – Start of the second wave (Corrals F, G, H and J)
• 8:10 a.m. – Wave 3 start corral close
• 8:35 a.m. – Start of the 3rd wave (Corrals K, L, M and N)
• 9:30 a.m. – Grant Park opens to spectators
• 9:30am – Mile 27 post-race party begins
• 4:00 p.m. – Equipment check ends
• 4:00 p.m. – The 27th Mile Post-Race Party ends

27th Mile Post-Race Party
Grant Park, Butler Field
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m

*Times may change.

Route map for the Chicago Marathon 2024

Check out the route for the 2024 Chicago Marathon here.

Results for the 2024 Chicago Marathon

Results and coverage of the 2024 Chicago Marathon can be found here.

The results by name and/or start number are provided here by the race organizers.

Past results from the Chicago Marathon can be found here.

The total prize fund for the 2024 Chicago Marathon is expected to exceed $800,000, with the winner of each open division (one male, one female) taking home $100,000.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon app

There will be a lot going on in Chicago the week of the 2024 Chicago Marathon, and participants and fans can stay up to date with the help of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon App, Powered by Tata Consultancy Services.

Through the app, anyone can follow athletes, view professional athlete profiles, watch the race stream, find out about the weather, view the course map, donate to charity and much more.

The app is available in the App Store and Google Play Store.

FloTrack is the streaming home for many track and field meets each year

Don’t miss all the action from the track and field season streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

Archived FloTrack footage

The video footage of each event is archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to view for the duration of their subscription.

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