Chicago Marathon Course Preview 2026: Mile by Mile

Chicago Marathon course preview for 2026: the whole route, mile by mile, before race day on Sunday, October 11. From the start in Grant Park through The Loop, Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, Halfway on Wacker Drive, Pilsen, Chinatown and Bronzeville to the finish on Columbus Drive. Chicago Marathon tips for every stretch: why your GPS fails in the Loop, where the gel stations are (miles 12.4 and 18.1), why the West Loop is the place to stay patient, what to expect from the headwind, bananas around miles 20 to 23, and what "Mount Roosevelt" really is. The music runs at 172 BPM if you want to run along, on the treadmill or outside. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:43 Mile 0 · Start & The Loop 02:57 Mile 8 · Wrigleyville 04:04 Mile 13 · Halfway 05:20 Mile 19 · Pilsen 06:25 Mile 21 · Chinatown 07:27 Mile 23 · Bronzeville 08:20 Mile 26 · Last Hill & Finish Links: Official course map: chicagomarathon.com Participant info / wave times: chicagomarathon.com Not affiliated with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. This video contains no race footage. Course facts from the official participant information (as of Oct 2026); always check the official site. Course time limit: 6:30 hours. AI disclosure: Narration is an AI voice. Music is AI-generated. Some shots animated with AI from real photos. Credits: Photos (Wikimedia Commons / Flickr / Pexels): Chicago Marathon 2023 · Photo: Giorgio Galeotti · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: AlphaBeta135 · CC BY 4.0 Photo: Amy Guth from Chicago, IL, USA · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Benjamin Lipsman (edit: Sillyfolkboy) · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Benjamin Lipsman from Chicago, · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Brian Lauer · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Cdurrani · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Codo · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: DimiTalen · CC0 Photo: Dirk Ingo Franke · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Eddie O. · Pexels License Photo: Gregory Regalado from USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: JeremyA · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Joe Passe · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Joe Ravi · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Jules Antonio · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY 4.0 Photo: Margot McMahon · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Ndshankar · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Noel Forte thenoelforte · CC0 Photo: Paul R. Burley · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Richard Smith from Bowen Island, Canada · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Sea Cow · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Señor Codo · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: Steven Dahlman - MarinaCityOnline.com · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Tara Winstead · Pexels License Photo: Thomas Sly from Boston, MA, US · CC BY 2.0 Photo: TonyTheTiger · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Victorgrigas · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Vitaly Gariev · Pexels License Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: bradhoc from USA · CC BY 2.0 Photo: edward stojakovic from Portland, OR, United States · CC BY 2.0 Photo: edward stojakovic · CC BY 2.0 Photo: nathanmac87 · CC BY 2.0 Photo: pasa47 · CC BY 2.0 Some photos were animated with AI (image-to-video); changes made. Video: Views from Cities (YouTube) · CC BY Morning Bike Ride through Grant Park and the Mag Mile ·    • Morning Bike Ride through Grant Park and t...   Bike Ride through the Loop and the Gold Coast Neighborhoods ·    • Bike Ride through the Loop and the Gold Co...   Bike ride down the Lakefront Trail, State and Dearborn Streets ·    • Bike ride down the Lakefront Trail, State ...   Bike Ride Around Montrose Point and Wrigleyville ·    • Bike Ride Around Montrose Point and Wrigle...   Morning Bike Ride Around Chicago POV ·    • Morning Bike Ride Around Chicago POV | Jul...   Sunrise Bike Ride down Leavitt and Through Pilsen ·    • Sunrise Bike Ride down Leavitt and Through...   Bike Ride Around Pilsen, Bridgeport and Chinatown ·    • Bike Ride Around Pilsen, Bridgeport and Ch...   Morning Bike Ride around the Prairie District and the Clarke-Ford House ·    • Morning Bike Ride around the Prairie Distr...   Bike Ride Around Museum Campus and Northerly Island ·    • Bike Ride Around Museum Campus and Norther...   Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors #chicagomarathon #ChicagoMarathon2026 #marathontraining