My Bucket List / Fitness Goals / Complete The World Marathon Majors
Chicago Marathon
Ticked off in October 2026
What it is
A flat loop that starts and finishes in Grant Park and runs through 29 of Chicago’s neighbourhoods, with big crowds all the way round.
How to do it
Enter the ballot, which opens in the autumn the year before, or take a charity or tour operator place. There are guaranteed places for fast qualifying times.
Top tip
Tall buildings can confuse GPS watches in the first few miles, so run by effort or use the mile markers.
My experience
Ran it on 11 October 2026 in 3:36:24, just two weeks after Berlin.