Chicago Marathon 2027: date, drawing (closes 29 October) and fees

Plan your race pace

The 2027 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is on Sunday 10 October, its 49th running. It is one of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors and probably the fastest of them all: flat, starting and finishing in Grant Park by Lake Michigan, and the scene of the last two marathon world records.

If you want to run it, you need to move fast: the drawing application window closes on Thursday 29 October 2026 at 2 p.m. Chicago time.

Key facts for 2027

• Date: Sunday 10 October 2027.
• Distance: 42.195 km (26.2 miles), a loop starting and finishing in Grant Park.
• Fee: $250 for US residents and $260 for everyone else. Applying is free: you only pay if you are selected.
• Organiser: Bank of America Chicago Marathon (chicagomarathon.com).

The dates that matter

• Applications: open since 8 October 2026; they close on 29 October 2026 at 2 p.m. Central Time.
• Guaranteed entries: approved applicants must pay by 10 November 2026.
• Drawing results: emailed on Tuesday 8 December 2026.
• Payment for selected runners: by Tuesday 15 December 2026, or the bib is lost.

Applying more than once does not help: duplicates are removed before the draw, and every application received in time has the same chance.

How to get a bib

• Drawing: for everyone without a guaranteed entry. The number of places is not fixed: it depends on how many guaranteed entries are issued first.
• Time qualifier: guaranteed entry with a time from a certified marathon run between 1 January 2025 and 29 October 2026. For ages 16 to 34, 2:50:00 for men and 3:20:00 for women and non-binary runners; the standards ease with age.
• Other routes: legacy runners with many finishes, the Chicago Distance Series, charity places and packages from authorised international tour operators.

Why it is so fast

The course is practically flat and runs through 29 neighbourhoods, from Lincoln Park to Chinatown, with few tight turns and wide avenues. In 2023 Kelvin Kiptum set the men’s world record here with 2:00:35, and in 2024 the women’s world record fell here too (2:09:56). For everyday runners, the key is the weather: in early October Chicago can be hot or cold, and the wind off the lake makes itself felt.

A practical tip: among the downtown skyscrapers, GPS watches go haywire in the first kilometres. Trust the distance markers and the pace bands more than your watch.

Logistics for international runners

• Bib collection: at the runners’ expo in the days before the race. In person.
• Where to stay: downtown, the Loop and South Loop are a short walk from the start. We will publish an accommodation guide with real prices a few months before the race.
• When to arrive: Thursday or Friday, to collect your bib and adjust to the time difference.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Chicago Marathon?

Sunday 10 October 2027.

Until when can I apply for the drawing?

Until Thursday 29 October 2026 at 2 p.m. Chicago time. Results arrive on 8 December.

How much does it cost?

$260 for runners who do not live in the US. Applying is free.

Dates, fees and conditions may change: the official race website is always the reference.