Chicago Marathon 2026 Race Recap

On October 11th I ran my 11th marathon: The Chicago Marathon! I was so excited for this race, as it’s one I’ve wanted to run for 12 years. Unfortunately it wasn’t the perfect day I envisioned, but still an amazing experience. I have a lot to say about this one but will try to keep it as concise as possible!

Chicago Marathon 2026

My husband and I decided to run Chicago as charity runners with Ronald McDonald house. We registered last December, and then ran the Delaware Marathon in April. I had a rough time recovering from Delaware and felt like I lost so much fitness before I started training in June. But it came back quickly and I went on to have a good training cycle!

My husband ended up not being able to train for or run Chicago. His job was too crazy and he was gone for 14 hours every day, plus taking classes to get his MBA. He ended up staying home with the kids while I was in Chicago since flights were so expensive.

Chicago Travel

I flew to Chicago late morning on Friday and took the train to my hotel. We had booked the Hilton Chicago which was extremely expensive but very close to the start and finish and super convenient. There were 3 restaurants on site and it had some race weekend perks, like a pasta buffet the night before the race.

I went to the expo on Saturday morning. I was planning to get there right when it opened but had to wait awhile for the train. It wasn’t too bad getting in but got crowded during the time I was there. I just got my bib, took some pics, and wandered around.

That afternoon I got my hair braided, had lunch, and hung out in the room. I had already gotten in wayyy too many steps the day!

For dinner I ended up grabbing carry out pasta from an Italian place around the corner (which cost less than the hotel’s pasta buffet).

Here is what I wore on race day:
Brooks Movement Crop
Brooks Cascadia Short Tight (so many pockets!)
Brooks Hyperion Elite 6
Knockaround Sunglasses
Nathan Handheld Soft Flask
Balega Running Socks

Race morning

I got up at 5am, drank coffee and had a bagel with PB, and got ready. Since I was running with Ronald McDonald house they had a hospitality tent that we could use prior to the race with food, bathrooms, and a heated tent. We really didn’t need the heated tent since it was a warm morning but it was nice to have!

They also had a private gear check which was super fast. I lined up to go to the bathroom around 7:20 because my corral closed at 7:45. The line was moving very slow so at 7:30 a few other women from my corral and I begged the people ahead of us who were in a later wave to let us go first. They were kind enough to let us go and I was able to get to my corral by 7:35.

Chicago Marathon Race Start

This was definitely a “hurry up and wait” situation. We were all outside of Corral H trying to get in but had to wait for the wave ahead of us to move up. We very slowly made our way up to the start line.

Waiting to start it felt nice out. It was about 60 degrees but the sun was not high in the sky yet. I was worried that I felt pretty comfortable standing around in a tank top and shorts at 8am because how would I feel running in a few hours? As we were making our way up towards the start like I could feel the sun getting higher and already starting to shine down on us. There was not a cloud in the sky.

I was also getting worried that I had to pee again. I hoped it was just nerves and it would pass, but it had been almost an hour since I went and I had hydrated well (plus had coffee) that morning. I knew any porto potties on course would be crowded at least for the first few miles so I tried to prepare myself to wait it out.

At 8:22 I was finally off!

Miles 1-6

I was so excited to cross the start line, but it felt weird to be running after standing around/crawling our way to the start line for so long. Any warm up I had done was over an hour ago. And my bladder was not happy. I felt like I could feel it bouncing as I ran. I was so jealous of all the men who just pulled over to the side of the course to pee.

Going through the first tunnel was amazing and briefly took my mind off of everything else! There were lights and a DJ to get us really pumped up. I didn’t look at my watch during the first mile because I was told the GPS would be really off, but my watch actually beeped right at the mile marker in 9:05. This was faster than planned for the first mile but I felt like the effort was easy so I was ok with it.

For the next few miles my GPS was not as good but not terrible. I tried manually lapping when I crossed the mile markers but eventually gave up on that. I think my paces were around 8:50-9:10 (some a bit slower with the GPS issues).

I was feeling ok, but it was hard to get into a rhythm because the course was so crowded. People were bumping into me and slowing down in front of me.

Miles 7-13

As we ran through Lincoln Park I started to feel a little better and was getting closer to my (adjusted) goal pace. I think there was a slight downhill at this point. I was on track with my fueling and hydration.

After leaving the park I started to feel warm. There was hardly a breeze. When we were on streets with tall buildings we got some shade which felt good. I was making sure to drink enough fluids but I think I overdid it because I started to get stomach cramps.

I passed the halfway in just under 2 hours. I know the race could go either way at that point- if I ran strong I could reach at least my C goal of running under 4 hours, but I also knew there was a strong chance the heat was going to significantly impact my pace over the last 13 miles.

Miles 14-20

I tried to stay optimistic but by mile 15 I realized I absolutely would need to stop and pee on the course. My bladder was screaming at me and I knew I would need to continue hydrating.

I finally saw a line of porto potties at mile 16, but they were off the course, so you had to run extra to get there. I headed over and there were 2 people waiting in line, even though there were 10 stalls and we were at mile 16.

I went as fast as I could but it totally messed with my head. I knew I had added on several minutes. As I started running again I felt something stuck in the bottom of my shoe. I had to stop to refill my water soon anyway, so I tried to just deal with it.

After about a mile it must of come out because I didn’t feel it anymore. There were cups everywhere and it was so sticky that I was worried I would fall. The volunteers were great about just pouring water straight into my handheld. I also used some of the water refill stations on the course.

I noticed at this point that they had changed the warning level from a yellow to a red. There had also been a sign on the course measuring the temperature which said 72. Lots of runners around me were fading, slowing down, or walking.

I kept telling myself “keep running until you get to 20 miles and then you can start taking walk breaks”. I managed to make it though mile 20 without stopping to walk.

Miles 21-26.2

After passing the 21 mile marker I opted to walk up one of the bridges. I rarely walk in marathons, but mentally the last few miles had did me in and I knew my goals were out the window. It was all about controlling the cramps enough to finish.

Walking felt good, but starting to run again was hard. I can’t even describe how hot I felt at this point. Yes, I ran through a Baltimore summer but I generally run in the dark or at sunrise, not at 11am-12pm when the sun is high in the sky. Being out in the sun and high heat for 4 hours was getting to me.

I think I stopped 3 times to walk at miles 21, 22, and 23, and there were a few other slow downs for water refills. I was also drinking the on course gatorade, which was probably not a great idea but I needed something and my fueling plan had fallen apart due to the cramps. I haven’t added up how much fluid I had but it was alot. I had started with 36 oz in my handhelds and that was gone well before the halfway point.

Once I hit mile 24 I was determined to run the rest of the way. I tried to do some math to see when I would finish. I estimated 4:10 and I was thinking that my slowest marathon was a 4:10, so I told myself to push hard and try to beat that time.

These were the longest and hardest 2 miles ever. Right at mile 26 there is a hill, which generally would had felt fine but it was painful at that point in the race. As I tried to push for the last .2 to the finish my stomach was in a complete knot. I wanted to just crawl up in a ball but somehow kept running and crossed the finish line.

Chicago Marathon Finish Line

I got a cold bottle of water and drank it in less than a minute. Then I got my medal. I saw a text from my husband and checked my official results. 4:10:07. I checked my other race times. My slowest time before this had been 4:09:14. Ugh.

I actually wasn’t really disappointed in my time. I knew I did what I had to do to manage the race day conditions. And all my times are generally bunched together between 3:55 and 4:10 so it’s not like this one is significantly slower. I was just upset that I couldn’t actually test my fitness and see what I could do on a decent day.

After getting my medal I got a chocolate milk and tried to drink it but it wasn’t going down great. Tried a beer instead and that was amazing.

I saw that the runners I coached were done and texted them about meeting up. I slowly made my way back to the tent to get my bag and get changed.

Heading back into the Ronald McDonald house tent was so fun. A bunch of people were lined up cheering as you walked down a red carpet and had your picture taken. They offered a fancy (plastic) glass of chocolate milk or champagne.

When I took off my shoes one of my toes was purple. It didn’t hurt while running but I am not sure if it was due to the mile when I had something stuck to the bottom of my shoe.

Post Race Celebrations

I met my athlete Amanda who I have been coaching for 3 years. We commiserated about the tough but fun day and celebrated the wins.

I got another beer and sat down in the sun to reflect on the race. I know this recap probably sounded pretty negative, because I was sharing the challenges of my running experience. But it was actually a really fun day! The crowd support was absolutely insane. The streets were lines for the entire 26.2 miles with people cheering. You could feel the energy of the other runners, even though we were all struggling.

I really liked the course too. I can see why people do this one multiple times. It’s mostly flat, with a few little bridges. They are enough to just change things up slightly without making it a hard course. Compared to other races I’ve done there weren’t than many turns.

Post Race Reflections

Talking to other runners and my coach has helped me to put this race in perspective. It truly was a fun experience, but it was a tough day.

There was a ripple effect from the heat. Drinking so many fluids cause a bathroom stop. Other runners slowing down around me affected my pace. Once I knew my goal was out the window it affected my mindset.

I wish I could have had a chance to test my true fitness, but that just wasn’t happening. It seems like Chicago has been getting warmer and more crowded, which may eventually make it harder to run a fast time, especially for people who aren’t starting up front.

The whole experience was fun and I am so glad I got to do it. Now I am trying to figure out what’s next, with a focus on choosing races in cooler weather months!

Make sure to check out Cari and Erica’s recaps as well!

Have you ever done a race that was much warmer than expected?

You may also like:
Richmond Marathon 2025 Race Recap
NCR Marathon 2024 Race Recap
How to Recover After a Disappointing Race

Now it’s time for the Runners’ Roundup! Link up your running and fitness posts below! Join myself, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs to post your favorite running tips, experiences, race and training recaps, workouts, gear, and coaching ideas.

!– start InLinkz code –>