Advice for (and from) the Chicago Marathon

On Sunday, October 12, 2025, tens of thousands of runners will take to the streets of Chicago and run 26.2 miles. Through downtown skyscrapers, to Chinatown, to Lincoln Park neighborhoods, this race has something for everyone, and a lot of ups and downs (not elevation though, Chicago is one of the flattest World Marathon Majors).

The Chicago Marathon was both my first and second marathon. It was also the first marathon experience I was ever a part of, and the reason I decided to take up this crazy hobby. The only reason I am not running it this year is because I was supposed to work it (but changed jobs and that’s no longer the case). But all of that to say, I love the Chicago Marathon.

Take that with a grain of salt, maybe - I’ve only run two different marathons after all (Chicago and Berlin). But there’s just something about the Chicago Marathon that makes it special.

I’ve had two very different experiences in Chicago. In my first marathon, my knee went out around mile 10 and I truly never recovered. I hobbled my way to the finish line in a painful seven hours and couldn’t move from my couch for 48 hours. My second time in Chicago, I felt strong (as strong as you can feel as a back-of-the-packer in a marathon) and smiled the whole time. I had a blast, and finished with a new PR (it was still over six hours, don’t get too excited).

Now before we get into recipe-blog territory and you all lose interest (if we aren’t already there), here’s my advice for the Chicago Marathon:

1. Do not wait to buy your official race gear at the Expo. I mean, maybe it will be different this year given the state of the merch (lol), but the Nike booth gets crazy at the Expo and even if you can find your size you’ll probably be waiting in line (on your feet) for hours. Unless they’ve fixed the nightmare from last year, you are better off ordering ahead of time.

2. Traffic will be a nightmare the whole weekend. Yes, the whole weekend. Plan accordingly for your shakeout runs, events, and race day. There is public transportation, but I’ll admit I’ve never taken it down for the race (I’ve always had to be down there before the roads close for work, and leave after the roads reopen, so I drive).

3. Get to the start line early, if for no other reason than the Porta Potty line is absurd. Last year, I was in Wave 2, got there an hour early, and still almost missed my start time. And make sure you have throwaway clothes, it’s likely to be chilly (and the clothes are donated!).

4. Don’t trust random people on the Internet with the rules of the race. Maybe one random person got through security with something technically not allowed, but it’s not worth the risk. All the official race FAQs can be found here, and rules here.

5. Skip the headphones and enjoy the cheering, dance parties, and more - at least for the first half of the race. I forgot my headphones my first year, and it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

6. Take advantage of all the aid stations! Having now done Berlin, I never truly appreciated the frequency of the aid stations in Chicago.

7. But, if you’re back-of-the-pack, be prepared for the aid stations to run out of things. This is not specific to Chicago, but it’s true. Biofreeze and gels are the first things to go (just imagine me scraping remnants of Biofreeze off plastic tables during my first marathon to try and save my busted knee).

8. The weather looks promising, but it’s also variable for this race. This far out, weather can change significantly, so don’t let the weather forecast take over your life. Be prepared to make adjustments in attire, fueling, and pacing if needed. Both years I ran (2023 and 2024) the weather was great (2024 was slightly sunnier than I would have liked). But, 2022 was warmer than ideal.

9. Be prepared for quieter areas of the course. The spectators in Chicago are incredible, but there are some areas, especially for us slower runners, that get pretty quiet. For me, the toughest parts were Mile 16-18. But even the year I finished in seven hours, there were still people cheering at the end (and yes, it did make me cry).

10. The mind game at the end. This feels dramatic but at this point in the race it killed me my first time. I’ll admit I don’t 100% remember, but somewhere around Mile 21-23, you will see the runners who are ahead of you on the other side of the course. It took all my effort not to just jump over the median and go with them.

11. Mt. Roosevelt. The last turn on Michigan Avenue takes you up Roosevelt Drive and the race’s only significant hill. This is probably nothing to those of you who don’t live in the Midwest, but at mile 26 after running flat the whole time, it’s a struggle. AND there’s still like 400m after you get to the top before the finish line - so don’t exert all your energy on the hill. A lot of people walk it so they can have energy for the finish line photos along the last few hundred meters.

12. The race is relatively friendly to back-of-the-packers. There is a cut off time of six hours and 30 minutes, but the year I didn’t make that cut off (and got caught in the sweep) I was still able to finish and received a medal. Having said that, I don’t know if that will be the case this year. As I mentioned earlier, the aid stations were definitely running out of things by the time I got to them (both years), but I do recall water being available at every single one.

13. Enjoy the race. A lot of people look at Chicago’s flat, fast course and want to PR - and there’s no shame in that - but I highly recommend taking the time to enjoy the race too. You run through so many different Chicago neighborhoods beyond the iconic skyline and the crowds are truly unmatched. I mean, I got to high-five a dog last year, you can’t beat that.

Chicago is truly any incredible race. It turned me, a “I know running is good for you, but at what cost” person, into a three-time marathoner and run coach. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll try my best to answer.

Good luck to all the runners taking on Chicago this year. I’ll be cheering you on!