NOTE: A live stream of the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will appear in the player above beginning at 7 a.m. Tune in live for complete race coverage and a finish line camera showing runners as they cross the finish line.

Race day for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is just over a week away, and Chicagoans making their way around the city on Friday may notice something different on the streets.

Drawn as a dashed "blue line" throughout the length of the marathon's 26.2 mile course, the victory route will mean a lot to the runners who step off in the city's biggest race on Oct. 8, 2023.

This line represents "the most direct, fastest way to the finish line," according to marathon organizers. It also acts as the official measurement taken by city and race experts to ensure the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course is exact.

The blue dashed line runs from the marathon start line, across the 26.2-mile course and to the finish line.

Whether you're an elite runner or a novice tackling the race for the first time, that blue line will help you go the (least) distance on Sunday, Oct. 8, so stick as close as possible.

In the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, the average finish time for runners was just over four hours and 29 minutes, a decrease of more than 13 minutes from the average finish time for runners in 2021.