The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is taking place on Sunday and thousands are participating in the event. The marathon organizers have made it easy to track a runner through the Chicago course. "Unlimited live race day runner tracking" is available via the ChiMarathon app, which can be downloaded in Google Play and in the Apple app store, according to NBC Chicago News.
To add registered participants to their tracking list, users can search their name and add them to their favorites. Users can track up to 20 runners through the app, which also includes an interactive course map, a schedule of events and race photos. The app also features an interactive course map and participant bib info, organizers said.
More than 55,000 runners from all 50 states and more than 130 countries have signed up to run through 29 neighborhoods in a 26.2-mile race. The Chicago Marathon starts and finishes in Grant Park. It will take place in waves of professional races, including the wheelchair field, begin at 7:20 a.m. Sunday.
What time does the Chicago Marathon 2026 start?
The Chicago Marathon will start with different divisions and participant waves setting off at staggered times throughout the morning. The professional wheelchair divisions begin first, followed by handcycle athletes, elite runners and recreational participants.
Live Events
The elite men’s and women’s races begin at 7:30 a.m. Central Time (CT), while the first wave of recreational runners starts at 7:35 a.m. Live television coverage in the Chicago market begins at 7 a.m. on NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and TeleXitos, with digital streaming available through the stations’ websites and apps. The elite race starts at 7:30 a.m. in Chicago, which is in the Central Time Zone. Viewers elsewhere in the United States should use their local time zone to plan their morning.
Schedule of events
Men’s Professional Wheelchair Start: 7:20 a.m.
Women’s Professional Wheelchair Start: 7:21 a.m.
Handcycle Start: 7:23 a.m.
Men’s and Women’s Professional Start: 7:30 a.m.
High Performance Program Start: 7:32: a.m.
Wave 1 Start: 7:35 a.m.
Wave 2 Start: 8:00 a.m.
Wave 3 Start: 8:35 a.m.
Grant Park opens to spectators: 9:30 a.m.
27th Mile Post-Race Party starts: 9:30 a.m.
27th Mile Post-Race Party ends: 4:00 p.m.
Full Schedule of Chicago Marathon
5:30 a.m.: Grant Park opens to runners and the gear check and start corrals open
7:20 a.m.: Wave 1 start corrals close and men's professional wheelchair start
7:21 a.m.: Women's professional wheelchair start
7:23 a.m.: Handcycle start
7:30 a.m.: Men's and women's professional runners start
7:32 a.m.: High performance running program start
7:35 a.m.: Wave 1 runners start
7:45 a.m.: Wave 2 start corrals close
8 a.m.: Wave 2 runners start
8:10 a.m.: Wave 3 corrals close
8:35 a.m.: Wave 3 runners start
9:30 a.m.: Grant Park opens to spectators and 27th Mile Post-Race Party starts
4 p.m.: Gear check closes and 27th Mile Post-Race Party ends
How to live stream?
Spectators can watch the race from the sidelines or from home via NBC Chicago's coverage and live stream of the start and finish line, available on our website, live on NBC 5, NBC Chicago's YouTube channel and on NBC Chicago's 24/7 streaming channel, NBC 5 Chicago News, available on Peacock, Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity, and FreeVee.
Street closures on Chicago Marathon Day
The marathon will cause significant street closures across Chicago, beginning as early as 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 11, with most areas reopening by the afternoon.
