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Chicago Marathon

Sunday, October 10, 2027 · Chicago, USA

Updated Oct 17, 2026

Exceptionally flat through 29 neighborhoods. Tied with Berlin as the marathon course with the most world records in the modern era. Two recent world records: Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 (2023) and Ruth Chepngetich's 2:09:56 (2024).

Kenyan Running Difficulty Index2.6 / 10How the course actually runs

Kenyan Running Elite Field Index9.0 / 10How deep the field around you is

Chicago Marathon elevation gain

The Chicago Marathon has 242 ft (74 m) of elevation gain and 240 ft (73 m) of loss over 26.2 miles (42.195 km).

Is the Chicago Marathon hard?

No, not as marathon courses go. The Chicago Marathon scores 2.6/10 on the Kenyan Running Difficulty Index, the 7th easiest of the 12 marathons we rate.

The median race-day temperature is 13.5°C (56°F).

The score is built from four factors: hills, race-day weather, turns and bridges, and the late miles where a runner is most likely to lose time. See the score breakdown.

Pacing the Chicago Marathon

Print a pace band for the Chicago Marathon.

Splits by goal time:3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 Full pace chart

Training for the Chicago Marathon?

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The score breakdown

The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.

Topographic Stress (30% weight)2.4 / 30

Atmospheric Stress (20% weight)7.0 / 20

Course Friction (15% weight)3.5 / 15

Tactical Brutality (35% weight)10.0 / 35

Lowest topographic stress among WMMs alongside Berlin.

Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data.

Course profile

Elevation gain: 74m / 242ft
Elevation loss: 73m / 240ft
Highest point: 186m
Surface: paved smooth
Late-stage climbs (after mile 18): Roosevelt Road bridge, the sole incline of note, a short rise approximately 500 meters before the finish on Michigan Avenue.
Profile notes: No concentrated zones of elevation gain anywhere on the course. Optimized for unbroken cadence.

Race day

Date: Sunday, October 10, 2027
Field size (approx.): 55,000
Entry: Guaranteed entry by time standard, charity, legacy finisher, tour operator, the Chicago distance series or the high performance program. Everyone else enters the non-guaranteed drawing.
Time limit: 6:30:59

Weather (historical)

Median temp: 13.5°C
Temp range: 7°C to 18°C
Humidity: 68% at start
Wind: Variable due to Lake Michigan proximity; 2023 record edition had ~7mph W/NW wind providing drafting advantage.

Prize money

Total purse: $913,000+ (2025)
Winner: $100K
2nd / 3rd: $75K / $50K
Course record bonus: $50K

Course records

Men's record2:00:35Kelvin Kiptum (KEN), 2023

Women's record2:09:56Ruth Chepngetich (KEN), 2024

Recent winners

Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 8 men, 9 women.

Year	Men's winner	Time	Women's winner	Time
2026	Amos Kipruto (KEN)	2:01:09	Hawi Feysa (ETH)	2:13:33
2025	Jacob Kiplimo (UGA)	2:02:23	Hawi Feysa (ETH)	2:14:57
2024	John Korir (KEN)	2:02:44	Ruth Chepngetich (KEN)	2:09:56WR
2023	Kelvin Kiptum (KEN)	2:00:35WR	Sifan Hassan (NED)	2:13:44
2022	Benson Kipruto (KEN)	2:04:24	Ruth Chepngetich (KEN)	2:14:18
2021	Seifu Tura (ETH)	2:06:12	Ruth Chepngetich (KEN)	2:22:31
2019	Lawrence Cherono (KEN)	2:05:45	Brigid Kosgei (KEN)	2:14:04WR
2018	Mo Farah (GBR)	2:05:11	Brigid Kosgei (KEN)	2:18:35
2017	Galen Rupp (USA)	2:09:20	Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH)	2:18:31
2016	Abel Kirui (KEN)	2:11:23	Florence Kiplagat (KEN)	2:21:32

Other races worth a look

Marathons with related profiles, fields, or training windows.

Berlin Marathon

Berlin, Germany

Difficulty1.0Elite Field9.5

Other flat-fast world-record venue

NYC Marathon

New York, USA

Difficulty9.2Elite Field9.0

Other US-based WMM

Training for Chicago Marathon?

A static plan is a starting point. What changes when a Kenyan coach reads your week-by-week training is the part a generic plan can't do. Take the free 5-question quiz to get matched.

Take the free coach-match quiz See Chicago marathon coaching

Sources

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