We’ve witnessed some epic global feats of endurance running throughout 2025, and we can expect more of the same when the spotlight shifts to the United States for two of the biggest marathons staged annually. First up, it’s the Chicago Marathon this Sunday (October 12), which, along with the New York City Marathon (November 2), is one of the seven current World Marathon Majors.
Chicago has become one of the fastest-growing modern marathon road races in the world, with around 50,000 runners hitting the Chicago course each year. A significant factor in its popularity is the fast and flat course it’s raced over, which aids those who are trying to clock personal records. The Chicago Marathon has also become a magnet for elite runners, with race organizers continuing to pursue and develop important relationships with sponsors, so that substantial prize money is rewarded to those elite runners who manage to lower world records.
Winning times have tumbled over the years. Britain’s Steve Jones became the first runner to break the world marathon record in Chicago when he clocked 2:08:05 in 1984. Khalid Khannouchi, who is the most successful male participant in the history of the race, with 4 wins to his name, also lowered the world best time in 1999, to 2:05:42.
However, it was the late Kelvin Kiptum who produced the most memorable performance the city of Chicago has ever seen, when he won the 2023 event in a stunning time of 2:00:35. The Kenyan sensation may be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten. He remains the only runner to go under 2 hours and 1 minute over the marathon distance.
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The following year (2024), Kiptum’s fellow countrywoman, Ruth Chepng'etich, stormed to her third victory around the Chicago course in a record time of 2:09:56, thus lowering the women’s best time by almost 2 minutes. The most decorated athlete in Chicago Marathon history, though, is Tatyana McFadden, America’s wheelchair wonder woman, who triumphed on no less than nine occasions (2009-2021).
Since 2008, the race has been sponsored and organized by Bank of America and is officially known as the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. It is now one of the most significant events in the athletics calendar. So much so that it was awarded a World Athletics Heritage Plaque by Seb Coe (President of World Athletics) last year, for an "outstanding contribution to the history and development of road running”.
Let GOAL give you all the key information you need to know ahead of the Chicago Marathon, including the race schedule and how you can watch or stream all the thrilling action.
When is the Chicago Marathon 2025?
The 47th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 12, 2025. The action gets underway at 7:20 am local time (CT) with the wheelchair racers.
| When: | October 12, 2025 |
| Time: | 7:20 am CT |
| Where: | Chicago, Illinois |
| How to watch: | Fubo / Peacock |
🇺🇸 How to watch the Chicago Marathon 2025 in the US
Athletics fans in the United States can watch the Chicago Marathon live on local channels NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago from 7 am CT (8 am ET / 2 pm CET), and it will simulstream live on Peacock (NBC’s streaming service). Peacock Premium costs $11/month or $110 annually for ad-supported streaming. To watch without ads, you need to upgrade to a Peacock Premium Plus plan, which costs $17 a month or $170 a year. Viewers in Mexico can also stream the live action on Peacock.
Another great streaming service that will let you view the Chicago Marathon live in the U.S is Fubo. Fubo offers multiple subscription plans, including the new 'Fubo Sports', which costs $45.99 for the first month and then $55.99 per month for subsequent months. It's streamlined and sports-focused with over 28 channels, including ESPN Unlimited, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Other Fubo plans include the base 'Pro' package (around $85/month), the higher-tier 'Elite' (around $95/month), and there's also a 'Latino' package, which offers sports and entertainment channels in Spanish. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers for all of its plans.
🌍 How to watch the Chicago Marathon 2025 worldwide
You can watch the Chicago Marathon live in many other countries globally, too. The table below provides an overview of the different broadcasters and the countries/regions they will air the race in:
| Country/Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| 🇪🇺 Mainland Europe | Eurosport (via TNT Sports) |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Tele Deportes |
| 🌎 Latin America | ESPN Latin America (via Fubo) |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | Sky New Zealand |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | Peacock |
| 🇨🇳 China | SMG China |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Astro Malaysia |
Watch the Chicago Marathon 2025 from anywhere with a VPN
If the Chicago Marathon isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favorite streaming services from anywhere.
We highly recommend using NordVPN, but you can also check out our detailed VPN guide for other options.
What is the Chicago Marathon 2025 route?
BOA Chicago Marathon
The Chicago Marathon is a loop course, which starts and ends at Grant Park. From there, it winds through many of the city's neighborhoods. The course is generally divided into three sections: North, West, and South. In each of these sections, three of the city's main sports stadiums are near the course's turning points: Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs – MLB) to the north, the United Center (Chicago Bulls – NBA) to the west, and Rate Field (Chicago White Sox – MLB) to the south, Soldier Field (Chicago Bears – NBA) is located near the start/finish area.
Who’s competing at the Chicago Marathon 2025?
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In the Chicago Marathon men's race, last year’s winner, John Korir, is attempting to follow in the footsteps of his fellow Kenyans, Samuel Wanjiru (2010) and Evans Rutto (2004), by securing back-to-back successes in the race. Other runners to achieve that feat are Khalid Khannouchi (2000), Luiz Antonio (1994), and Steve Jones (1985). John Korir clinched his second World Marathon Majors triumph when winning the Boston Marathon earlier this year. Korir’s main rivals look to hail from Kenya too, with Timothy Kiplagat and Amos Kipruto both set to line up. While Kipruto won the London Marathon in 2022, Kiplagat is yet to taste Marathon Majors success, although he did come close when second in Tokyo last year.
There won’t be a repeat winner in the women’s race, though, as defending champion and 3-time Chicago Queen, Ruth Chepng’etich, is currently serving a doping ban. In terms of times, Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu and Hawi Feysa look to have the best chance of grabbing women's glory. In the wheelchair events, Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug will be on the starting line once again at Grant Park. Debrunner is chasing her third consecutive win in Chicago, while Hug, the Swiss 'silver bullet', will be confident about claiming a sixth title.
What time does the Chicago Marathon 2025 start?
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The Chicago Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 12, with the various events getting underway as follows (alltimes shown are local CT).
- 07:20 am - Marathon Wheelchair Start (men)
- 07:21 am - Marathon Wheelchair Start (women)
- 07:30 am - Marathon Wave 1 Start
- 08:00 am- Marathon Wave 2 Start
- 08:35 am- Marathon Wave 3 Start