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.
Over 47,000 runners are registered to take the streets of Chicago in one of the biggest races of the year on Oct. 8 for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The 26.2-mile path of the annual marathon brings runners through iconic Chicago neighborhoods like Wrigleyville, Chinatown and Andersonville while starting and finishing in Grant Park.
Among the thousands of runners registered to race are decorated athletes set on breaking records and casual marathoners hoping to beat personal bests.
The amount of time it takes to complete a marathon varies depending on a runner’s level of experience, their age, a course’s difficulty and even the weather, but participants must complete the course in at least six hours and 30 minutes to qualify.
Elite runners such as Olympians can complete marathons in a little over two hours while competitive runners may take two and a half to three and a half hours to run the full course, TODAY writes. Casual runners can take an average of four to five hours to complete a marathon.
Four defending marathon champions are returning to the race this year. In 2022, Benson Kipruto won the marathon by finishing in 2:04:24 and Ruth Chepngetich won the women’s race for the second consecutive year by finishing in 2:14:18. Marcel Hug finished first in the men’s wheelchair race with 1:25:20 and Susannah Scaroni won the women’s race with 1:45:48.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Runners who need a push to reach their personal bests can join a Pace Team for free by registering during the Abbott Health & Fitness expo which will take place from Oct. 5 to 7. Pace Teams are groups of runners led by experienced marathoners who are there to help each group reach its performance goal. Pacers will keep the group running in even splits, keeping a steady pace to run the most efficient way possible.
Start times vary based on category for efficiency. The first race to begin is the men’s wheelchair race at 7:20 a.m., followed by the women’s wheelchair, handcycling race and three marathon waves, with the last starting at 8:35 a.m.
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While all participants must complete the race in six hours and 30 minutes, the staggered start time of each corral means road closures will be in place for as long as 11 hours on race day.
Luckily, those who are hoping to access roads in Streeterville and The Loop can anticipate road openings from earlier miles in the track to open at around 10 a.m.
