The Chicago Marathon 2025 will be held on October 12, in continuation of the Marathon season. More than 53,000 runners from more than 100 countries getting ready to hit the streets in the American city.
This will be the 47th edition of the Chicago Marathon, the world-class runners will be chasing honours and world-record.
John Korir, the men’s champion from last year, is back to defend his title and will look to hold off a number of his countrymen, including Geoffrey Kamworor, the two-time New York Marathon champion.
The women’s field at Chicago Marathon 2025 includes Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu and Hawi Feysa, alongside Boston Marathon specialist Mary Ngugi-Cooper of Kenya, and Paris 2024 Olympian Dakotah Popehn.
Chicago Marathon 2025 : Schedule
The Chicago Marathon, will begin at 7:20 a.m. (US Central Time) with the wheelchair races, followed by the elite runner’s to start at 7:30 a.m. The start and finish line is at Grant Park.
Chicago Marathon 2025 : Start times
All local timings which is UTC/GMT -6
- 7:20 a.m.: Marathon Wheelchair start (men)
- 7:21 a.m.: Marathon Wheelchair start (women)
- 7:23 a.m.: Marathon Handcycle start
- 7:30 a.m.: Wave 1 start (Elite & Corrals A, B, C, D and E)
- 8:00 a.m.: Wave 2 start (Corrals F, G, H and J)
- 8:35 a.m.: Wave 3 start (Corrals K, L, M and N)
Chicago Marathon 2025: Course
The 26.2 mile course takes runners through 29 neighborhoods. It starts and ends in Grant Park on Columbus Drive and loops north to Lake View, west to Damen Avenue and south to 35th Street before returning to Grant Park for the finish. As exhausted runners enter the 26th mile- runners will hit “Mount Roosevelt.” The 700-foot stretch along Roosevelt between Columbus and Michigan rises 23 feet and can be a challenging and unexpected obstacle for lovers of level land.
Chicago Marathon 2025: Athletes to watch
Men’s Race
Leading the men’s charge is defending champion John Korir, who is the current eighth-fastest marathoner in history. At just 27, the Kenyan has matured into a major marathon force. His 2:02:44 victory in 2024 was not only a personal best but also a statement of intent. Since then, he’s added a win at Boston Marathon 2025, further rising into prominance.
The other runner to keep an eye on is Jacob Kiplimo, the Ugandan prodigy and world record holder in the half marathon, who will toe the line for only the second marathon of his career. Kiplimo’s debut was no ordinary outing- he finished second in London earlier this year, behind Sabastian Sawe. At 23, his potential is immense, and Chicago may be the perfect stage for his breakout.
Also in the mix is the resurgent Timothy Kiplagat, a 32-year-old Kenyan whose backstory is as compelling as his speed. Once consumed by hardship and self-doubt in his youth, he turned his life around through running- eventually placing second at the Tokyo Marathon in 2024 with a sub-2:03 time.
The American hopes rest on Conner Mantz, fresh off an eighth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon. Mantz has his eyes set on a specific target: Khalid Khannouchi’s American record of 2:05:38.
Women’s Race
This year’s women’s race is wide open following the absence of defending champion and former world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich, who is serving a doping ban. A new queen of Chicago will be crowned.
Ethiopia fields a formidable lineup. At the forefront is Hawi Feysa, who, though listed as a marathon debutant, brings a 2:17 personal best- a blistering time that places her among the fastest women in the world. Beside her is Megertu Alemu, the Valencia Marathon champion and third-place finisher in Chicago last year. With more experience on this course, Alemu is aiming to climb even higher on the podium.
“The course is very flat and fast,” said Alemu. “With my training this year, I feel fit to run better and move higher.”
Fellow Ethiopian Irine Cheptai, also a podium finisher in 2024, returns with her sights set on the top. Meanwhile, Mary Ngugi-Cooper of Kenya- a perennial contender with multiple top-5 finishes in Boston- is hunting for her first major win on U.S. soil after six tries.
American interest will center on Dakotah Popehn, who leads the domestic women’s field.
Also Read: List Of World’s Toughest Marathons
Chicago Marathon 2025: Where to watch live
| Country/Region | Coverage Time (US Central Time) | Where to Watch |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | NBC 5 Chicago Telemundo Chicago |
| 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | nbcchicago.com telemundochicago.com NBC & Telemundo Chicago apps |
|
| Mexico | 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Peacock Roku nbcchicago.com telemundochicago.com Apps |
| United Kingdom | Time-adjusted (1 p.m. – 7 p.m. BST) | Eurosport |
| India | Time-adjusted (5:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. IST) | Eurosport India |
| Brazil | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Brasília Time) | ESPN Brazil |
| Latin America (general) | Varies | ESPN Latin America |
| China | 8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. (next day CST) | SMG China |
| Canada | Same as US Central Time | Likely via NBC 5 Chicago stream or international partner (check local provider) |
| Australia | 11:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m. (AEDT, next day) | International streaming (check FloSports or Eurosport if available) |
| Other countries | Varies | FloSports Eurosport ESPN Intl |
