Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a flat loop through 29 city neighbourhoods, starting and finishing in Grant Park. Barely 50 metres of climbing are spread across the full 42.2 km, seven world records have been run on this course, and the only real rise waits in the final kilometre. Preparing for Chicago is not hill work; it is holding one pace for hours.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2027: Course, Route Profile & Map
The start is on Columbus Drive in Grant Park, skyline behind you and Lake Michigan to your right. The opening kilometres zig-zag through the Loop and cross the Chicago River three times before the course heads north through River North, Old Town and Lincoln Park. Around kilometre 13 comes Lakeview and Northalsted, the loudest block of support all day. Just short of Wrigleyville the route turns and runs back south on Broadway, Clark Street and the street canyon of LaSalle Street into the Loop, with halfway falling near the river again.
The second half is the quieter one. Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard carry the race dead straight west past Greektown, Little Italy and the United Center: wide roads, almost no shade, a much thinner crowd. From kilometre 30 the mood swings back: Pilsen turns out with mariachi, Chinatown with lion dancers and a near-180-degree turn at the Chinatown Gate. Then come the empty, attritional kilometres through Armour Square and Bronzeville before Michigan Avenue leads north again. In the final kilometre Roosevelt Road lifts over the rail lines, some eight metres of climb known locally as Mount Roosevelt, and a left onto Columbus Drive takes you to the line.
The profile explains the reputation: 94 percent of the loop is flat, total ascent comes to 46 metres, and there is not a single classified climb. It is run entirely on closed city asphalt lined by roughly 1.7 million spectators, with about 50,000 starters on a course staged for the 49th time in 2027.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Start under control
Nothing pays off in Chicago like even kilometre splits. There is no terrain reason to vary effort, so plan flat splits or a slightly negative split and do not budget for the rise at the end. The big trap is the first eight kilometres: narrow Loop streets, a dense field, the course's world-record reputation and a fractionally falling profile all invite a pace you pay for later on Michigan Avenue.
Hold your rhythm
On top of that, GPS reads reliably long between the skyscrapers, so pace off the mile and kilometre markers, not the watch face. The race is decided from Chinatown onward. After kilometre 34 the course empties out, loses its shade and goes quiet, and the northbound run up Michigan Avenue is fully exposed to any wind coming off Lake Michigan, which costs minutes on an open road.
Spend what is left
Whoever still has something left here moves up. Roosevelt Road in the last kilometre is objectively trivial at eight metres, but it arrives exactly when nothing is left: run it on feel rather than pace, and save the kick for the flat run-in on Columbus Drive.
Training plan for Bank of America Chicago Marathon: 12-week build
Build the base
For most age-group athletes the Bank of America Chicago Marathon means three and a half to five and a half hours on the road; the course limit is 6:30. The demand is about as uniform as a marathon course can make it: a continuous aerobic effort with no anaerobic spikes, because with 94 percent flat terrain and not one classified climb nothing breaks the rhythm. That is the challenge: not climbing strength, but the ability to hold a target pace for hours on hard asphalt.
Train race pace
The race is decided after kilometre 34. Between Chinatown, Armour Square and Bronzeville the crowds and the shade both disappear, and the way back up Michigan Avenue runs north across open, wind-exposed road. Train fatigue resistance for that specifically: long runs building to 30-35 km, with 8-15 km blocks at marathon race pace placed at the end of those long runs rather than at the start.
Rehearse the course
Conditions on the second Sunday in October come in two versions and both need preparing for. The normal case is a cool start in waves from 07:35, which means throwaway layers for the long wait in the corral. The exception is heat: in 2007 the organizer shut the course down mid-race at 31 °C, so a plan B with a reduced target pace and a drinking strategy across the 20 aid stations belongs in the preparation. Wind off the lake is the third factor, so put some long runs deliberately on open, exposed roads.
Arrive fresh
You do not need hill training for Chicago, with one exception: a few short 200-400 m rises tacked onto the end of long runs mean Roosevelt Road at kilometre 42 is not a surprise. What matters more is key sessions on asphalt so tendons and muscles tolerate the hard surface over the full distance, a gel and fluid routine rehearsed in training, and running by feel. GPS pace is unusable in the Loop's street canyons, and anyone who has only trained to the watch loses their rhythm there.
Courses
Download the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Bank of America Chicago Marathon dynamically
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Everything about Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
How long is Bank of America Chicago Marathon?
Bank of America Chicago Marathon is 42.2 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Bank of America Chicago Marathon have?
Bank of America Chicago Marathon has around 46 m of elevation gain over 42.2 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Bank of America Chicago Marathon?
Bank of America Chicago Marathon is classified as Flat, averaging 1.1 vertical metres per kilometre. 94% of the route is flat, 3% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 0% is steeper than 6%.
Is Bank of America Chicago Marathon a loop course?
Yes, Bank of America Chicago Marathon is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course?
Yes. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Bank of America Chicago Marathon?
Preparation for Bank of America Chicago Marathon should account for 42.2 km, 46 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Bank of America Chicago Marathon?
The pacing strategy for Bank of America Chicago Marathon should reflect 42.2 km, 46 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Bank of America Chicago Marathon take place?
Bank of America Chicago Marathon takes place on October 10, 2027.
Where does Bank of America Chicago Marathon take place?
Bank of America Chicago Marathon takes place in Chicago, United States.
How do I register for Bank of America Chicago Marathon?
Registration runs through the organiser: chicagomarathon.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
