Preparation guide · Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Chicago Marathon 2027: split times, aid stations and how to run it
The next edition is on Sunday 10 October 2027 (provisional date: the organisers haven't confirmed it yet; in 2026 it was held on 11 October. Start time is indicative), starting in Chicago (Grant Park, USA) at 7:30. Here you have the Chicago Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Chicago Marathon: route and profile
Official participant guide.
The course, section by section
| Section | Length | What it's like and how to run it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grant Park and the Loop km 0 | 5 km | Start in Grant Park and a loop downtown between skyscrapers, with an underpass right after the start. GPS goes haywire among the skyscrapers: run by feel or by the mile markers. Calm start, it's crowded. |
| 2. North: Lincoln Park and Lakeview km 5 | 14 km | Flat avenues north to Lakeview and back, near the lake and with big crowds. Target pace and drink at every station (there are many, close together). Your first gel around km 8–10. |
| 3. West Loop and Little Italy km 19 | 11 km | Halfway in the West Loop and a turn west and south, more open and windy. Halfway: check how you feel and don't do sums. If it's windy, find a group. |
| 4. Pilsen and Chinatown km 30 | 5 km | The liveliest districts of the course (music and crowds), just as it starts to hurt. Use them to hold your pace, not to speed up. Gel at km 30. |
| 5. Michigan Avenue km 35 | 6.8 km | A long straight north along Michigan Avenue, sometimes with wind off the lake. The toughest stretch mentally: fix your eyes on the group ahead and go station to station. |
| 6. Roosevelt Road and finish km 41.8 | 0.4 km | The only hill of the course («Mount Roosevelt», a short overpass) 400 m from the finish, then down into Grant Park. It's short but it hurts: arms and short steps; at the top it's only downhill to the finish. |
Route keys
- It's a flat, fast course through Chicago's neighbourhoods. The downtown skyscrapers and GPS don't get along: your watch drifts in the first kilometres, so go by the course markers.
- With 20 stations of water and Gatorade Endurance every 1–2 miles, you don't need a bottle: sip at each one. The guide we have only lists water and Gatorade: if you don't see gels in the official one, carry your own.
- Self-refill water points are at miles 5.7, 10.1, 15.7 and 20.3, for those carrying their own container.
- In October the morning in Chicago can be cold or warm depending on the year (see the table). Be ready for the cold in the corral and for the heat if you start late.
2 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat, and your split times at your pace.
Split times
At an even pace (we haven't loaded the official track yet, so climbs and descents aren't adjusted: use it as a reference), with the clock time counted from the 07:30 gun. If you start from a later corral or wave, add the time it takes you to cross the start. Write yours down or wear them on a pace band: watch GPS usually reads long.
| Point | 3 h | 3 h 30 | 4 h | 4 h 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:20 7:51 | 0:24:53 7:54 | 0:28:26 7:58 | 0:32:00 8:02 |
| km 10 | 0:42:40 8:12 | 0:49:46 8:19 | 0:56:53 8:26 | 1:03:59 8:33 |
| km 15 | 1:03:59 8:33 | 1:14:39 8:44 | 1:25:19 8:55 | 1:35:59 9:05 |
| km 20 | 1:25:19 8:55 | 1:39:32 9:09 | 1:53:45 9:23 | 2:07:59 9:37 |
| Halfway | 1:30:00 9:00 | 1:45:00 9:15 | 2:00:00 9:30 | 2:15:00 9:45 |
| km 25 | 1:46:39 9:16 | 2:04:25 9:34 | 2:22:12 9:52 | 2:39:58 10:09 |
| km 30 | 2:07:59 9:37 | 2:29:18 9:59 | 2:50:38 10:20 | 3:11:58 10:41 |
| km 35 | 2:29:18 9:59 | 2:54:11 10:24 | 3:19:05 10:49 | 3:43:58 11:13 |
| km 40 | 2:50:38 10:20 | 3:19:05 10:49 | 3:47:31 11:17 | 4:15:57 11:45 |
| Finish | 3:00:00 10:30 | 3:30:00 11:00 | 4:00:00 11:30 | 4:30:00 12:00 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 3 h 30: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water.
There are 20 stations with water and Gatorade Endurance, 1 to 2 miles apart, plus self-refill water points at miles 5.7, 10.1, 15.7 and 20.3. The source doesn't list each station's exact kilometres, so we don't give them.
How many gels and how much to drink
What a typical runner (68 kg) needs depending on their time, with 35 g gels. When running the stomach tolerates less than on the bike: more than 60 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Gels alone don't reach that figure (the first one comes around 45 minutes and none are due in the last half hour): the rest comes from drinking sports drink instead of water at a few aid stations.
| Time | Carbs per hour | Gels | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 h | 60 g/h | 4 × 35 g | 1.5 l | 300 mg/h |
| 3 h 30 | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 1.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 2.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h 30 | 60 g/h | 6 × 35 g | 2.2 l | 300 mg/h |
Nothing new on race day: gels, breakfast, shoes and socks, all tested on your long runs. Vaseline on your feet, groin and armpits, and protect your nipples. If it's cold at the start, wait in your corral in old clothes you can throw away.
Chicago Marathon: weather in early October
What the weather was like during the race (from the start to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7 ºC | 12 ºC | 0.0 mm | 23 km/h |
| 2023 | 8 ºC | 10 ºC | 0.0 mm | 20 km/h |
| 2024 | 13 ºC | 15 ºC | 0.0 mm | 18 km/h |
| 2025 | 11 ºC | 14 ºC | 0.0 mm | 18 km/h |
| 2026 | 14 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.0 mm | 17 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Your Chicago Marathon, tailored to you
This guide uses a typical runner. In WinWatts we calculate it with your data:
- Your time, your pace and your split times from your threshold pace and the expected heat.
- The race-day forecast, and what to wear at the start and during the race.
- How much to drink at each aid station and where to take each gel, with your own gels.
- Your training plan until Sunday 10 October 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Chicago Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Aid stations from the official participant guide; track not loaded yet (split times at an even pace); weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.