Your Guide to Chicago Marathon Street Closures, Cheer Zones and How to Get Around the Course This Sunday

Patty Wetli | October 11, 2024, 11:35 am

(Kevin Morris / 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon)

An anticipated 50,000 runners will take over the streets of Chicago on Sunday for the 46th Chicago Marathon.

Here’s what you need to know about the event’s logistics, from road closures to cheer zones.

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Start and Finish Area

The race’s start and finish lines are in Grant Park, which means access to the park will be limited.

Several streets within and around the park are already closed and the rest will shut down at 4 a.m. Saturday. Most will reopen by 8 p.m. Sunday, though some will remain closed through Monday afternoon. Balbo Drive between Columbus and DuSable Lake Shore Drive won’t reopen until Wednesday morning.

A 5K race on Saturday will cause additional street closures in the Loop between 7 and 9 a.m.; no parking zones will be in effect along the course beginning at 1 a.m. Saturday.

The marathon's footprint in and around Grant Park. Be prepared for street closures through late Sunday and into Monday. (Bank of America Chicago Marathon)

The Course

The rest of the course’s 26.2 miles will snake through Chicago’s neighborhoods, stretching north to Wrigleyville, south to Bronzeville and west to the United Center.

This route also doubles as a handy guide for spectators who want to watch the race in person, and for everyone else who wants to avoid the crowds and traffic.

No parking zones along the course will be enforced beginning at 1 a.m. Sunday. Street closures along the route will occur between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., reopening on a rolling basis as the final runners pass through (at a 15-minute mile pace).

For a frame of reference, the 13-mile mark (see map) is expected to reopen by 1:15 p.m.

The 2024 Chicago Marathon course. Streets on the course route will be closed beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday. (Bank of America Chicago Marathon)

The Timing

Participants will start in staggered waves, beginning with wheelchair competitors at 7:20 a.m. The first runners will hit the course at 7:30 a.m., with successive groups at 8 a.m. and 8:35 a.m.

The fastest wheelchair racers should cross the finish line sometime around 8:45 a.m., and the top professional runners should break the tape shortly after 9:30 a.m.

Runners are allotted a maximum time of 6 hours and 30 minutes to complete the course; the finish line will close at 6 p.m.

Spectating

Public transportation, specifically rail transit, will be the best way to get around the city. We created a map of stations closest to specific mile markets on the course.

If you’re following a specific participant, use the Bank of American Chicago Marathon app (free and available for download in the App and Google Play stores) to track their progress. You can even submit a digital cheer via the app, which might be displayed on the course as your runner goes by.

The stretch of the course between miles 17 and 23 tends to attract fewer spectators, right at the point where runners need encouragement the most. If you want to go the extra mile for participants, head to UIC/Little Italy, Pilsen, Chinatown and Bronzeville.

Marathon organizers also have established various cheer zones throughout the course.

— Community cheer zones are assigned to run clubs, nonprofits, businesses and neighborhood associations.

— The charity cheer zone near Mile 15 is a gathering spot for family and friends of charity runners.

— Bank of America cheer zones, complete with entertainment and cheer items, can be found at Mile 13 and Mile 26.