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How to watch the 2026 Chicago Marathon: Spectator and streaming guide
Learn when the Chicago Marathon 2026 takes place, how the lottery and guaranteed entry options work, and what to expect from the city route.
Wondering how to watch the Chicago Marathon action in 2026? You have two main options: cheer from the course in Chicago or follow the race from home on TV and live stream.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2026 takes place in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, October 11, 2026. As one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, it draws elite athletes, charity runners, first-time marathoners, and supporters from around the world.
This Chicago Marathon spectator guide covers the race date, start times, route basics, where to watch in person, how to track a runner, and how to watch the broadcast from the US or abroad.
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When is the 2026 Chicago Marathon?
The Chicago Marathon 2026 will take place on Sunday, October 11, 2026, with all listed race-day times in Central Time (CT). The official schedule is subject to change, so check the official website again closer to race weekend.
| Race-day event | 2026 start time |
|---|---|
| Men’s professional wheelchair start | 7:20 a.m. CT |
| Women’s professional wheelchair start | 7:21 a.m. CT |
| Handcycle start | 7:23 a.m. CT |
| Men’s and women’s professional start | 7:30 a.m. CT |
| High Performance Program start | 7:32 a.m. CT |
| Wave 1 start | 7:35 a.m. CT |
| Wave 2 start | 8:00 a.m. CT |
| Wave 3 start | 8:35 a.m. CT |
| Grant Park opens to spectators | 9:30 a.m. CT |
For many spectators, the most useful times are the wave starts and the 9:30 a.m. opening of Grant Park spectator access. If you are planning to meet a runner after the race, build in extra time for crowds, security, and the walk to the Runner Reunite area.
Chicago mornings can also be cool and changeable in October, so if you’re visiting from abroad, check what to pack for a USA trip and bring layers for a long day outdoors.
The Chicago Marathon route at a glance
The Chicago Marathon course starts and finishes in Grant Park, then takes runners on a 26.2-mile loop through 29 Chicago neighborhoods. The route is known for being flat and fast, with strong crowd support across the city.
For spectators, the course is easiest to understand in sections:
- Early miles: Downtown Chicago and River North
- North Side: Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and nearby neighborhoods
- Mid-race miles: Back toward downtown and the West Loop
- West Side and Pilsen: Key middle-to-late race support zones
- South Side and Chinatown: Energetic late-race viewing areas
- Final miles: South Loop and the return toward Grant Park
If you are deciding where to watch the Chicago Marathon runners, choose spots near Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) rail stations rather than trying to drive. The course creates extensive road closures, and the official event guidance encourages spectators to use CTA trains to move between viewing areas.
Where to watch the Chicago Marathon in person: best spots
The best places to watch depend on whether you want to see your runner once, follow them to multiple points, or enjoy the biggest crowd energy.
For most visitors, the easiest plan is to pick one or two CTA-accessible locations and track your runner’s pace through the official app. For example, you can pick one early or mid-race spot and one late-race spot to have a complete experience.
If you’re traveling from abroad, also check what to expect when using a cell phone in the USA before race day, including roaming settings and whether your current mobile plan works as expected abroad.
Here are some of the most practical viewing spots for the Chicago Marathon 2026:
| Viewing spot | Approx. mile marker | Nearest CTA stop | Why watch here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown / Loop | Mile 2 | Jackson, Red or Blue Line | A convenient early-race option if you are staying downtown. Good for seeing runners before the field spreads out too much. |
| River North / Near North Side | Miles 3.5 and 12.25 | Chicago, Red Line | Useful if you want a chance to see runners twice from roughly the same CTA stop area. |
| Lakeview / Wrigleyville area | Mile 8 to 8.5 | Sheridan or Addison, Red Line | A lively North Side stretch with strong neighborhood energy before the race turns back south. |
| Old Town / Lincoln Park | Mile 11 | Sedgwick, Brown Line | One of the classic spectator areas, with easy Brown Line access and good mid-race atmosphere. |
| West Loop / Greektown | Miles 14 and 17 | UIC-Halsted, Blue Line | A practical choice for spectators trying to catch their runner more than once in the middle of the race. |
| Pilsen / Charity Block Party area | Mile 15 to 19.25 | UIC-Halsted, Blue Line, or 18th, Pink Line | A high-energy part of the course, especially around the official Charity Block Party near Mile 15 and the Pilsen stretch later on. |
| Chinatown | Mile 21.5 | Cermak-Chinatown, Red Line | One of the most atmospheric late-race areas, when runners often need the extra support. |
| Michigan Avenue / South Loop | Mile 25 | Cermak-McCormick Place, Green Line | Good for seeing runners in the final miles before they turn back toward Grant Park. |
| Post-race Grant Park area | Finish / after race | Roosevelt, Red, Green, or Orange Line | Best for meeting your runner after the finish, once spectator areas open and runners make their way through the finish process. |
The Bank of America Cheer Zone and finish line
For 2026, the official Bank of America Cheer Zones are listed at Mile 13 on N. Wacker Drive in front of Bank of America Tower and Mile 26 near Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road.
Other official cheer areas include the Shamrock Shuffle Cheer Zone, Chicago 13.1 Cheer Zone, and Charity Block Party. These can be useful if you want a more structured cheering environment rather than choosing a random sidewalk spot.
One important rule to keep in mind: spectators cannot access the race start or finish areas inside Grant Park unless they have a Finish Line Viewing ticket or approved event credentials. For 2026, Finish Line Viewing tickets are listed at $30 USD per person, with the viewing area open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How to track a runner during the Chicago Marathon
The official Bank of America Chicago Marathon App lets spectators track individual runners, access race information, and prepare for race week. The 2026 app is expected to be available in advance of race day.
Based on the 2025 version, spectators could search for a runner by name or bib number, save them to a tracking list, receive race alerts, and use course maps to plan where to cheer next.
If you’re visiting from abroad, a USA eSIM with reliable data is especially useful. You may need it to use the race app, check live maps, message your group, stream the broadcast, or find the nearest CTA station while streets are closed.
How to watch the Chicago Marathon on TV and live stream (US)
For US viewers, the official Chicago Marathon live stream and TV coverage are centered on local Chicago broadcast partners. The event’s official race-day broadcast page lists live TV coverage on NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, and TeleXitos, with English and Spanish coverage available.
| Option | Platform | Time window |
|---|---|---|
| English TV broadcast | NBC 5 Chicago | 7:00 am to 11:00 am CT |
| Spanish TV broadcast | Telemundo Chicago and TeleXitos | 7:00 am to 11:00 am CT |
| Live stream | nbcchicago.com, telemundochicago.com, NBC 5 app, Telemundo Chicago app, Roku, and Apple TV channels | 7:00 am to 3:00 pm CT |
| Radio coverage | 670 The Score Sports Radio and Audacy app | 7:00 am to 11:00 am CT |
How to watch the Chicago Marathon from abroad
For viewers outside the US, the best way to follow the race depends on broadcast rights for your location. International coverage can change year to year, so check the official race-day broadcast page and your local sports networks closer to October 11, 2026.
If there is no local broadcaster in your country, you still have a few ways to follow the event:
- Use the official Bank of America Chicago Marathon App to track a specific runner.
- Follow official race updates on the event website and social channels.
- Ask your runner to share their bib number before the race so you can set up tracking quickly.
- Convert the start times from Central Time to your local time zone before race morning.
For UK viewers, Chicago is usually six hours behind British Summer Time in mid-October. For Canadian viewers, the time difference depends on your province. For Australian viewers, the race falls late Sunday night or early Monday morning, depending on your state or location.
The key is to prepare before race day. Whether you are watching from London, Toronto, Sydney, or elsewhere, save the official race page, download the app if it is available in your app store, and check the confirmed broadcast information close to the event.
Stay connected at the Chicago Marathon with Holafly
If you’re heading to Chicago to cheer on a runner, a reliable connection is what keeps your race-day plan together. An eSIM for the USA from Holafly gives you unlimited data with speeds up to 5G, so all of that keeps working across a long day on the course. Install it before you fly out and it’s ready the moment you land in Chicago, with no physical SIM to swap and 24/7 customer support if anything comes up.
Never install another eSIM again: keep your Holafly eSIM in your phone and you’ll have Always On: 1 GB of monthly backup data to fall back on, refreshing automatically every month at no extra cost. It’s handy for exactly the moments race day throws at you — your main plan runs low after hours of tracking and streaming, but you still need to pull up the app or message your runner to sort out where to meet near the Runner Reunite area.
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