Chicago Marathon 2026: Start Times, TV and How to Watch
The 48th Chicago Marathon is on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The elite runners start at 7:30 am Central time (12:30 UTC), and the first wave of everyone else at 7:35 am, the official site lists. More than 55,000 people are expected to finish the 26.2 miles through 29 neighborhoods, organizers say.
NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago show it live from 7 to 11 am Central, and Peacock and Roku stream it nationally. The links and international broadcasters are below.
Chicago Marathon start times on race day
| Start | Chicago (CT) | UTC | London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's professional wheelchair | 7:20am | 12:20 | 1:20pm |
| Women's professional wheelchair | 7:21am | 12:21 | 1:21pm |
| Handcycle | 7:23am | 12:23 | 1:23pm |
| Men's and women's professional (elite) runners | 7:30am | 12:30 | 1:30pm |
| High Performance Program | 7:32am | 12:32 | 1:32pm |
| Wave 1 | 7:35am | 12:35 | 1:35pm |
| Wave 2 | 8:00am | 13:00 | 2:00pm |
| Wave 3 | 8:35am | 13:35 | 2:35pm |
Chicago is on daylight time (UTC−5) until Nov. 1, and London on British Summer Time until Oct. 25. Grant Park opens to runners at 5:30 am. The corrals for waves 1, 2 and 3 close at 7:20, 7:45 and 8:10 am.
What time does the elite race start in your city?
| Where | Elite start, Sun. Oct. 11 |
|---|---|
| UTC | 12:30 |
| Chicago | 7:30am |
| New York | 8:30am |
| Los Angeles | 5:30am |
| Mexico City | 6:30am |
| Sao Paulo | 9:30am |
| London | 1:30pm |
| Paris, Berlin | 2:30pm |
| Lagos | 1:30pm |
| Johannesburg | 2:30pm |
| Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kampala | 3:30pm |
| Riyadh | 3:30pm |
| Dubai | 4:30pm |
| Karachi | 5:30pm |
| Delhi, Mumbai | 6:00pm |
| Dhaka | 6:30pm |
| Jakarta, Bangkok | 7:30pm |
| Singapore, Beijing | 8:30pm |
| Tokyo | 9:30pm |
| Sydney | 11:30pm |
How to watch the Chicago Marathon live
- TV, Chicago: NBC 5 Chicago in English and Telemundo Chicago in Spanish, from 7 to 11 am CT.
- Streaming in the US: Peacock and Roku carry the four-hour broadcast nationally. The same four hours, plus four more of finish-line coverage, stream from 7 am to 3 pm CT on nbcchicago.com, telemundochicago.com and the NBC Chicago and Telemundo Chicago apps.
- Abroad: ESPN Brazil, ESPN Latin America, Eurosport, Eurosport India, FloSports, Olympic Channel, SMG China and TV Asahi.
- Radio: Sports Radio 104.3 The Score, 7 to 11 am CT, also on the Audacy app.
All of this comes from the organizers' Sept. 22 broadcast announcement. International partners differ by country, so check your listings.
Who is running at the front
- Men: Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo defends his title. He won in 2:02:23 last year, the second-fastest time in race history, and finished third in London this year in 2:00:28, the third-fastest marathon ever. Kenya's Amos Kipruto, second last year, and Ethiopia's Milkesa Mengesha and Tedese Tekele Bikila are among the challengers, with American Charles Hicks, Belgium's Bashir Abdi and Norway's Sondre Moen also entered (July 23 and Sept. 22 announcements).
- Women: Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa defends her title. Kenya's Brigid Kosgei, a two-time Chicago winner, and Sharon Lokedi, who won Boston in 2025 and 2026, are in the field, along with Ethiopia's Sutume Kebede and Megertu Alemu.
- Wheelchair: Switzerland's Marcel Hug, a six-time champion who has won the last four, faces Daniel Romanchuk, Aaron Pike and David Weir. Defending women's champion Susannah Scaroni is not racing this year.
Some previously announced runners, including Kenya's Alex Masai, have withdrawn, the race-week media alert says. The full professional roster is on the organizers' press page. Results will be posted at results.chicagomarathon.com.
Tracking a runner and where to cheer
- Tracking: the official Chicago Marathon app, powered by TCS, lets spectators follow individual runners.
- Grant Park: spectators cannot enter the start and finish areas on race day. The Runner Reunite area opens at 9:30 am. The organizers suggest watching along the course and taking the CTA trains between viewing spots.
- On the course: a Charity Block Party near Mile 15 at Adams Street and Loomis Street cheers on charity runners.
Source: the organizers' spectator information.
Marathon weekend and the 2027 race
The Abbott Health & Fitness Expo is at McCormick Place on Thursday, Oct. 8 from 10 am to 6 pm and on Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, and the Abbott Chicago 5K runs on Saturday, Oct. 10. The three-week application period for the 2027 Chicago Marathon opens on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 8 am Central time, organizers announced. More than 200,000 people applied for this year's race.
Times and broadcast details are as published by the organizers on Oct. 5, 2026. Check chicagomarathon.com for last-minute changes.
