How to Watch the 2026 Chicago Marathon

Chicago doesn't exactly need help producing record-breaking marathon times, and this year's field gives the course plenty to work with.The 2026 Chicago Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 11, with race coverage beginning at 8 a.m. ET (7 a.m. CT). The professional men and women start at 8:30 a.m. ET, after the wheelchair and handcycle fields and before the remaining waves head through Chicago.How to Watch the 2026 Chicago MarathonIn Chicago, NBC 5, Telemundo Chicago, and TeleXitos will carry live television coverage from 7 to 11 a.m. CT. Streaming begins at the same time and continues through 3 p.m. CT on NBCChicago.com, TelemundoChicago.com, the stations’ apps, and their Roku and Apple TV channels. Race-viewing capabilities are also available through the NBC Sports NOW and NBC Chicago channels on Peacock.If you’re more of a listener—or just can’t watch the race—670 The Score Sports Radio (670 AM, 104.3 FM) will have live coverage from 6 to 10 a.m. CT.And if you’re part of the cheering squad and want to keep tabs on a specific runner, use the Chicago Marathon app or the race’s online tracking tools for live splits and leaderboard updates.Race Preview: 2026 Chicago MarathonJacob Kiplimo returns to Chicago as the defending men’s champion—and, on paper, considerably faster than he was a year ago. The Ugandan ran 2:00:28 at London in April, making him the third-fastest marathoner in history. Amos Kipruto gives the field another serious threat with a 2:01:39 best. Milkesa Mengesha, Tadese Takele Bikila, and Daniel Mateiko have all broken 2:04 as well.The American men have some speed of their own. Charles Hicks ran 2:04:35 in Boston earlier this year, while Olympian Clayton Young has a 2:05:41 best. Galen Rupp, now 40, is also returning to the race he won in 2017 as the last American man to take the Chicago title.On the women’s side, defending champion Hawi Feysa returns after running 2:14:57 in Chicago last year. She’ll have to contend with Brigid Kosgei, whose 2:14:04 personal best came when she broke the world record on this course in 2019. Sutume Kebede, Megertu Alemu, Sharon Lokedi, and Loice Chemnung add more sub-2:19 depth to the field.As for the U.S. women’s group, keep an eye out for the marathon debut of Emma Grace Hurley, along with Sara Hall, Dakotah Popehn, and Susanna Sullivan.Find Your Next Running PlaylistSean Abrams was the Senior Editor, Growth and Engagement at Men’s Health. He’s a former hip hop dancer who likes long walks on the beach and large glasses of tequila. You can find his previous work at Maxim, Elite Daily, and AskMen.