Chicago is the flattest big Major and a real PR course: one loop through 29 neighborhoods, about 57 meters of total climb, and crowds nearly the whole 42.2 km. The 2024 race drew a record 52,150 finishers. The catch is getting in. It's a non-guaranteed drawing now, roughly 1-in-4 odds, and mid-October can still hand you a warm, exposed afternoon.
Better info coming — we're still verifying 3 fields on this race.
Why we'd pick it
- Flat and fast: 57 m of total climb, so it's a genuine PR course.
- It's a lottery. Enter the day it opens, not the week before.
- A non-racing partner gets a real weekend here — 5/5.
- Race day usually sits 9–17°C, about 25% chance of rain.
The course
Flat, fast, and a loop through 29 neighborhoods that feels like a single block party. The only hill is the short ramp up Roosevelt to the finish, and it always hurts more than it should.
