It’s a weather day — good or bad — that will be cemented into thousands of memories perhaps even more than one’s wedding day.
It will determine heaps for the record 55,000 plus runners headed to the starting line in Grant Park Sunday to amble, dash and jog their way to the finish line of the 48th Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
With just under a week to go, meteorologists at the National Weather Service predict a dry and partially sunny day with temperatures that will start in the 50s and climb into the mid-70s by the afternoon — in other words, good marathon weather.
“It’s still subject to change, but right now, especially at the start of the race, it looks like it will be really nice weather out there,” said NWS meteorologist Jake Petr.
The marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series of eight of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world. Chicago’s reputation is fast and flat — ideal for record-breaking times.
Here’s what else you need to know:
The race
Wheelchair and handcycle races are the first off beginning at 7:20 a.m. Minutes later, a host of the world’s best runners will kick off at 7:30 a.m. and finish in little over 2 hours. Additional waves of runners will be sent off until 8:35 a.m. The average time for a non-elite runner is about 4 hours and 20 minutes. The course closes at 4 p.m.
Street closures
Most streets along the marathon route will close to traffic at 6 a.m. Sunday, with many streets remaining closed to traffic until 4 p.m. Race organizers suggest using expressways, including DuSable Lakeshore Drive, to traverse the area and avoid street closures. No parking zones will be enforced beginning at 1 a.m. on Sunday. Vehicles will be ticketed and towed to the nearest auto pound; check the marathon website for more details. Expect bus reroutes from 6 a.m. through 4 p.m. on routes that normally pass through the race area. Race officials suggest using Chicago Transit Authority trains as an easy way to navigate downtown and surrounding areas on race day.
The course
The 26.2 mile course takes runners through 29 neighborhoods. It starts and ends in Grant Park on Columbus Drive and loops north to Lake View, west to Damen Avenue and south to 35th Street before returning to Grant Park for the finish. As exhausted runners enter the 26th mile — within earshot of cheers coming from the finish line — the cement will slowly and cruelly rise underfoot. Say hello to “Mount Roosevelt.” The 700-foot stretch along Roosevelt between Columbus and Michigan rises 23 feet and can be a challenging and unexpected obstacle for lovers of level land.
Tracking a runner
Spectators can plan where to see particular runners by tracking them on the free Bank of America Chicago Marathon app. It allows for the tracking of multiple runners and offers professional athlete profiles, live broadcast streaming, real-time weather and an interactive course map.
Watch from home
NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will provide television coverage of elite racers from 7 to 11 a.m. NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will also provide wider streaming coverage on their websites, apps, and on the stations’ Roku and Apple TV channels, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Elite runners
While Kenyan Sabastian Sawe — who set the world record with the sport’s first official sub-two hour marathon of 1:59:30 in London this spring — will not be running due to injury, the men’s field is still stacked with competitors seeking to write their own names in the record books.
Chief among them is Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, who finished just 58 seconds behind Sawe in London with a time of 2:00:28 — the third-fastest marathon time ever.
Homegrown talent to keep an eye on includes rising American star Charles Hicks, whose time of 2:04:35 at the Boston Marathon this year is the second-fastest ever run by an American.
On the women’s side, Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, who set a women’s world record in Chicago in 2024 with a time of 2:09:56, is sidelined again this year because of a three-year suspension due to a positive doping test. In her absence, a top favorite is Brigid Kosgei, of Kenya, whose best marathon time of 2:14:04 came when she won Chicago in 2019. Hawi Feysa, of Ethiopia, is another contender. Her best time of 2:14:56 came when she won in Chicago last year.
Top American women include Susanna Sullivan and Natosha Rogers. Both set their personal bests in Chicago. Sullivan’s came in 2024 with a time of 2:21:56. The best time for Rogers came last year with a finish of 2:23:28.