Fall marathon season is here and the Chicago Marathon is only a month away. Anyone running the iconic race needs to read this post in advance of the race. I ran the marathon in 2021 and hope to pass along some insider information to make your race the best it can be. Training for any marathon is difficult and time consuming, so gaining any advantage to make race day easier is totally worth it. The Chicago Marathon is definitely one of the easier marathon courses, but there are still specific things to watch out for and be aware of that can trip you up.
Training For The Chicago Marathon
The Chicago Marathon is known for being a fast, flat course with large crowds. While this can produce some fast times, you still need to prepare yourself for the course. The race features less than 300 feet of elevation gain, which depending on where you live, you could easily accumulate that in 5-6 miles. While hilly running is more difficult, running 26.2 flat miles can actually present it’s own set of challenges. When running on hilly routes, the body uses different sets of muscles for uphill, downhill and flat sections. Certain muscle groups get some breaks when the incline changes. So for Chicago, you will have wanted to keep your long runs to smaller elevation gains to train your body adequately. For more information on how to train for a marathon, check out my post here.
As far as weather goes, the second week of October can really produce a wide range of possibilities. Last year (2021), it was miserably hot with temperatures in the upper 70’s and humidity over 80%. Here are the past race start temperatures to get an idea of what to expect:
- 2021: 75 degrees, 84% humidity, 15mph South Wind, Sunny
- 2019: 41 degrees, 91% humidity, 10mph WSW Wind, Partly Cloudy
- 2018: 58 degrees, 94% humidity, 5mph ENE Wind, Light Rain
- 2017: 57 degrees, 86% humidity, 8mph SW Wind, Partly Cloudy
- 2016: 51 degrees, 80% humidity, 8mph ESE Wind, Partly Cloudy
- 2015: 54 degrees, 70% humidity, 11mph SSW Wind, Sunny
- 2014: 46 degrees, 70% humidity, 8mph SE Wind, Partly Cloudy
- 2013: 48 degrees, 72% humidity, 4mph NW Wind, Sunny
- 2012: 40 degrees, 64% humidity, 6mph WNW Wind, Mostly Cloudy
Chicago Marathon Runner’s Expo
As is custom with big races, there is no race day packet pickup for participants. With the race taking place on Sunday, the expo is open Thursday thru Saturday. If possible try to attend Thursday or Friday, as Saturday can get very busy. The 2021 version required COVID vaccination or negative test verification, which created some very long lines.
We arrived in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday and waited in line for close to an hour before getting to enter the expo. It wasn’t ideal being on my feet for that long the day before the race, so plan accordingly. It may have been impacted by COVID, but I was actually underwhelmed by the expo. There were not a lot of vendors and the ones that were there did not have very much merchandise to offer. Once inside the expo, packet pickup was quick and easy.
Race Morning
Grant Park is your destination for race morning. If you are staying in one of the many hotels within proximity, you will just need to follow the crowds as they march towards the corrals. I stayed at the Embassy Suites in River North and it ended up being about a 20 minute walk. With Chicago being such a large race, I recommend allowing a little extra time to find your corral and take care of any pre-race needs. There were lots of port-a-pots available. They were pretty spread out around the corrals, so just go ahead and get in line when you see a manageable line.
One thing that caught me by surprise was the security line. I knew ahead of time that we would go through security screen to enter the corral. However, I had brought a regular plastic water bottle with me to take some sips before the race. I had opened it already and taken a few sips, and the security team made me throw it out while going through the check. Any unopened bottles appeared to be fine, so be prepared if you would like some beverage before the race!
The race starts at 7:30am local time. Depending on the wave & corral you will have different recommended times for when to arrive at the start area. Based on my experience for starting in the first wave, arriving to the start area around 6:30 provides enough time to get through security and hit the bathroom before making it to your corral by 7. It is recommended for you to arrive at your corral much earlier than this. However, unless you are super stressed about being late, arriving an hour before your start time should be plenty.
Chicago Marathon Course Insights
This is more of a general marathon tip as opposed to specifically for Chicago, but make sure you are focused on running the closest possible distance to the 26.2 mile course. While this is certainly easier for the professionals up front with less traffic, you can still make important decisions to help minimize the distance you run. There will be a blue line drawn on the race route. This isn’t just for marking the race route, but also designates the shortest possible route. So just “Follow the Little Blue Line” and save yourself some precious seconds on your race time!
The Chicago Marathon course features many bridge crossings, especially early on in the race. Since these bridges are draw bridges for river traffic, they feature metal grates as the surface. These would be fairly uncomfortable to run on and potentially slippery if wet. However, the race organizers to place carpet strips down the middle of the road, so make sure to look for those to make those bridge crossing safe and efficient.
Start – Mile 3
The race gets underway heading north out of Grant Park. The first 2 ninety-degree turns of the race are left hand turns, so starting on the left side of the road can save a little distance. This beginning section of the race is very exciting as you weave through the downtown area. For first-timers, you need to be prepared for a few things during this section. First, the crowds are huge and very supportive through here. It can be very easy to go out too fast with all the excitement. Secondly, most GPS watches will be very inconsistent through this stretch as the tall buildings and underpasses cause a great deal of interference. Your watch may over or underestimate the distance/pace. So just be prepared for the data to be off from the beginning of the race.
Mile 3 – Mile 13
This section takes you north out of the downtown area towards some quieter areas. You’ll run past the Lincoln Park Zoo and then through some residential areas. The runners should start to thin out some so it should be easier to navigate around the course. I really enjoyed this section as the crowd support was still strong, but you get to run through some scenic areas. There was also a fair amount of shade in this section, so if it is a warm day it is much appreciated!
As you near the halfway point, you come back towards the downtown area again. This is another area to expect GPS interference. However, it shouldn’t be as big of a deal in this section.
Mile 13 – Mile 20
This stretch begins the back half of the race. The crowds really quiet down compared to the packed downtown area. This area is mostly residential neighborhoods as you journey through Greektown and Little Italy. This stretch really drained me as I started to fall off the pace. It is pretty exposed as well so sun & wind can be a factor through here.
Mile 20 – Mile 24
The highlight of this section is running through China town in mile 21. The crowds really pick up in this area and energize you for the last 10k of the race. Close to Mile 23 you should be able to see the Chicago White Sox stadium in the distance. This is the furthest south point of the race as you swing back towards Michigan Ave and the finish line in Grant Park.
Mile 24 – Finish
Everyone loves to make a big deal of the “large” hill as you come to the end of the race. Climbing up the Roosevelt Road into Grant Park is a fairly sizeable climb compared to the lack elevation featured in the previous 25 miles. However, if you prepare in advance, it really is not a difficult climb. Just be prepared to save a little energy for this climb as you come down Michigan Ave. The flat and wide Michigan Ave can be tempting to pick up the tempo as you near the finish. Just approach with caution and you should be more than fine.
Chicago Marathon Finish Area
When you cross the finish line, you will proceed straight down the finish chute to get your medal & nutritional items. Compared to smaller races, the chute is fairly long. The organizers provide a family meet up area at the end of the chute that is organized alphabetically. Family members need to pass through one of the security checkpoints to be allowed into the reunite & post party area.
Overall, the Chicago Marathon is definitely a bucket list race. It has a fantastic atmosphere and gets you an unobstructed tour of one of the biggest cities in the world. Good luck to everyone taking part in this year’s race!
