In 1976, a small band of running enthusiasts met at the Metropolitan YMCA on LaSalle Street to plan a marathon in Chicago. They realised their vision on 25 September 1977, hosting 4,200 local runners in the first Chicago Marathon. It has since expanded to 48,000 runners and attracts an estimated 1.7 million on-course spectators.
The flat course, which begins and ends in Chicago’s historic Grant Park, has elicited three men’s world records (by Steve Jones in 1984, Khalid Khannouchi in 1999 and Kelvin Kiptum in 2023) and three women’s world records (by Catherine Ndereba in 2001, Paula Radcliffe in 2022 and in 2019 by Brigid Kosgei).
Inaugural running: 1977
Largest field: 48,472 finishers (2023)
Recent participation: In 2023 there were 48,472 finishers - 25,765 (men) 22,543 (women) 104 (non-binary and 60 (prefer not to say)
Estimated number of spectators: 1.7 million
Course records:
- Men: 2:00:35 (Kelvin Kiptum, KEN, 2023)
- Women: 2:13:44 (Sifan Hassan, NED, 2023)
Most victories:
Men: 4 (Khalid Khannouchi, MAR/USA)
Women: 2 (Rosa Mota POR, Lisa Weidenbach USA, Ritva Lemettinen FIN, Marian Sutton GBR, Joyce Chepchumba KEN, Catherine Ndereba KEN, Berhane Adere ETH, Florence Kiplagat KEN, Brigid Kosgei, KEN)
Runner prize purse: US$588,000 (US$75,000 to men and women champions)
Wheelchair course records:
- Men: 1:22:37 (Marcel Hug, SUI, 2023)
- Women: 1:38:44 (Catherine Debrunner, USA, 2023)
Most wheelchair victories:
Men: 5 (Kurt Fearnley, AUS)
Women: 9 (Tatyana McFadden, USA)
Wheelchair prize purse: US$152,500 (US$25,000 for men and women champions)
Organisation information: Carey Pinkowski, Executive Race Director
Media contacts: Alex Sawyer, Director of Communications
Upcoming race date: Sunday 13 October