This fall, our first ever Chicago Program crew logged more early mornings along the lakefront than most of the city's seagulls. Coaches, pacers, and athletes put in months of long runs and workouts on these streets, and along the way they figured out exactly where this course likes to humble people. So we asked them to pass their best advice along.
Here are 5 pieces of wisdom from our Chicago crew for your race day...
1. Win the morning early.
Chicago's start corrals are crowded, and the lines for bathrooms and water get long and disorganized fast. Handle both where you're staying before you head out. If you need bag check, make it your very first stop, but if you can skip it altogether, do. Every minute you spend stressing in a line is energy you'll want back at mile 20.
2. Respect the flat.
Chicago's reputation as one of the fastest courses in the world is well earned, but no hills also means no natural brakes. Fresh legs and loud crowds make the opening miles feel effortless, and that's exactly when runners bank time they pay back later. Hold your goal pace, or just under it, through the first 10K. If it feels a little too easy, you're doing it right.
3. Adjust for the conditions.
As of Wednesday, the forecast calls for a start in the low 60s, climbing to around 70 by the finish, warmer than a typical Chicago October. Start a touch more conservatively and take fluids early, before you feel thirsty. The current forecast also shows a headwind from roughly mile 9 to 23, so find a group to tuck in behind and run by effort rather than chasing splits. Check again Saturday night, since forecasts shift.
4. Trust your legs, not your watch.
The same skyscrapers that make the skyline famous also scramble GPS signals, so your pace can read wildly off in the first few miles and again near the end. Don't adjust your effort to match a number you can't trust. Turn off auto-lap and hit your lap button at each official mile marker instead. Your watch will likely read long at the finish anyway. Your chip time is the one that counts.
5. Stay strong through the final loop.
The back end of the course swings close to downtown, and seeing the skyline that near while the finish still feels far away is a real mental test. Keep the self talk positive: you got yourself this far, and you can get yourself to the end. Save a little for the short climb onto Roosevelt near mile 26, then take the left on Columbus and enjoy the best stretch of road in the city. You're a Chicago Marathon finisher.
...But most importantly, feel proud of what you've built. We'll be at the Mile 23 Cheer Zone (E 35th St + S Indiana Ave) from 8 AM to 2 PM alongside 7onSunday, GRC, 0nThe9, InnerLane, and so many other amazing Chicago crews, right as the headwind lets up and you need it most. Good luck!
