How to Get Into the Chicago Marathon
The drawing, time qualifiers, legacy status, charity and every other way into the 2027 race, with what each one takes.
Jason Schmitt
More than 200,000 people applied to run the 2026 Chicago Marathon (Running USA), more than double the 86,000 who applied for 2023 (MarathonBallot). The 2027 application window ran from October 8 to October 29, 2026 and is now closed. Runners approved for a guaranteed entry have until 11:59 p.m. Central on Tuesday, November 10 to pay their entry fee, and drawing results go out by email on Tuesday, December 8 (Chicago Marathon).
If your name doesn’t come up, the race is still within reach. Chicago guarantees entry to time qualifiers, legacy finishers, official charity runners, tour operator customers and a few smaller groups, and the charity and tour operator routes stay open well into 2027. This guide covers each route for the race on October 10, 2027, what it takes, and which ones are still open now.
The drawing
Most runners apply through the non-guaranteed drawing. Applying was free, there was no limit on applications, and duplicates were removed before the draw (Chicago Marathon). If you’re selected on December 8, you have until 11:59 p.m. Central on Tuesday, December 15 to register and pay the entry fee, which is $250 for U.S. residents and $260 for everyone else (Chicago Marathon). Miss that deadline and the spot is gone.
Demand has climbed every year. Applications went from 86,000 for 2023 to 123,000 for 2024, 160,000 for 2025 and more than 200,000 for 2026, according to figures MarathonBallot compiled from organizer announcements (MarathonBallot). The race doesn’t publish how many drawing spots there are or what share of applicants get one, so the “roughly 25 percent” odds that circulate online are an estimate, not an official number. The field stays near 55,000: the 2026 race had more than 54,000 participants (Chicago Marathon).
The practical approach is the same one that works for the New York drawing: treat the drawing as a bonus, and know which guaranteed route you’ll use before December 8.
Time qualifiers
A fast enough marathon guarantees entry. For 2027, the time has to come from a marathon finished between January 1, 2025 and October 29, 2026, on a course certified by USATF, World Athletics or a similar body, and your age group is based on your age on race day (Chicago Marathon). Half marathons, 50Ks, times from your own watch and uncertified courses don’t count, and there are no exceptions for near misses.
Age on race day | Men | Women | Non-binary |
|---|---|---|---|
16–34 | 2:50:00 | 3:20:00 | 3:20:00 |
35–39 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 | 3:25:00 |
40–44 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 | 3:30:00 |
45–49 | 3:10:00 | 3:40:00 | 3:40:00 |
50–54 | 3:15:00 | 3:50:00 | 3:50:00 |
55–59 | 3:25:00 | 3:55:00 | 3:55:00 |
60–64 | 3:40:00 | 4:15:00 | 4:15:00 |
65–69 | 3:55:00 | 4:30:00 | 4:30:00 |
70–74 | 4:15:00 | 4:45:00 | 4:45:00 |
75–79 | 4:30:00 | 5:00:00 | 5:00:00 |
80+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 | 5:20:00 |
These standards are the same as 2026’s, which were five minutes faster than 2025’s for most age groups (Running With Rock). They’re also tougher than Boston’s for most runners: men 18 to 59 need a time five minutes faster than Boston asks for, and most women’s age groups do too. If you’re weighing the two races, the Boston qualifying times guide covers Boston’s standards and its cutoff.
Few runners meet these marks. In Brian Rock’s analysis of recent marathon results, about 5 percent of men 30 to 34 finished in 2:50 or faster, and about 6.5 percent of women 30 to 34 finished in 3:20 or faster (Running With Rock).
A separate High Performance Program takes men under 2:25 and women and non-binary runners under 2:45, with masters standards of 2:35 and 2:50. It’s capped at 300 runners and is already full for 2027 (Chicago Marathon).
Legacy finishers
If you’ve finished the Chicago Marathon five or more times in the last 10 years, your entry is guaranteed (Chicago Marathon). Only finishes count, so Virtual Experience results, finishes before 2016 and other marathons don’t, though everyone registered for the canceled 2020 race is counted as a 2020 finisher.
Charity
Charity runners make up a big share of the Chicago field. About a third of the 55,000-person 2026 field was expected to run for an official charity, and Chicago charity runners raised a record $47.1 million in 2025 (Running USA).
For 2027, the minimum fundraising commitment is $2,500 and the charity entry fee is $325 for U.S. residents and $335 for everyone else (Chicago Marathon). The 2026 minimum was $2,200 (Running USA). You apply directly with a charity from the race’s Charity Index, and spots are first come, first served until September 10, 2027 or until that charity fills. When last year’s drawing results went out, charity and tour operator entries for 2026 were already filling quickly (Running USA), so if your name doesn’t come up on December 8, start contacting charities that week.
Tour operators
Official tour operators sell guaranteed entries as part of travel packages, which usually include a hotel and sometimes flights. The program is organized by country, not every country has an approved operator, and applications stay open through August 10, 2027, with 2027 details posted on December 8 (Chicago Marathon). Package prices vary by operator, and the race doesn’t publish them.
Every other guaranteed route
Canceled 2026 entries. If you canceled your 2026 entry under the race’s standard policy, your 2027 spot is guaranteed, though you still have to apply and pay the entry fee again (Chicago Marathon).
Pregnancy and postpartum. Runners who moved their entry under the pregnancy and postpartum policy get a guaranteed 2027 spot and don’t pay the fee again.
The Chicago Distance Series. Finishing all three 2026 series races, the Shamrock Shuffle 8K, the Chicago 13.1 and the marathon, guaranteed a 2027 entry. Finishing all three in 2027 does the same for the 50th running in 2028 (Chicago Marathon).
Entries for Equity. Chicago-area community groups with running, fitness or healthy-living programs can apply for free entries to share with their members, with priority for first-time participants and runners facing financial barriers. The window for 2027 closed on October 27, 2026 (Chicago Marathon).
Which route fits you
If you… | Your route |
|---|---|
Were selected on December 8 | Register and pay by 11:59 p.m. Central on December 15 |
Weren’t selected and still want to run in 2027 | An official charity, before it fills |
Live outside the U.S. | A tour operator in your country, through August 10, 2027 |
Have five Chicago finishes in the last 10 years | Legacy entry, when applications open for 2028 |
Live near Chicago and race often | The 2027 Distance Series, for a guaranteed spot in 2028 |
Are close to your qualifying time | A fast, certified marathon, then apply as a time qualifier for 2028 |
The 2027 timeline
October 8 to 29, 2026: Applications for the drawing and most guaranteed entries (closed)
November 10, 2026: Payment deadline for approved guaranteed entries, 11:59 p.m. Central
December 8, 2026: Drawing results by email, and tour operator details for 2027
December 15, 2026: Deadline for selected runners to register and pay, 11:59 p.m. Central
August 10, 2027: Tour operator applications close
September 10, 2027: Charity entries close, unless a charity fills first
October 7 to 9, 2027: Abbott Health & Fitness Expo at McCormick Place
October 10, 2027: Race day, starting at 7:30 a.m. in Grant Park
The Chicago Marathon page on the Race Calendar tracks these dates, and subscribing puts them on your calendar.
Getting ready once you’re in
October 10 is about 10 months after the drawing, which leaves time to build a base before a typical 18-week plan starts in early June. If you’re planning tune-up races around it, Building a Better Race Calendar covers how to build a season around one goal race.
How to choose a marathon training plan walks through the main options, the long run guide covers the workout that matters most, and the race week guide covers the last seven days.
FAQ
What are the odds of getting into the Chicago Marathon through the lottery?
The race doesn’t publish an acceptance rate or the number of drawing spots. More than 200,000 people applied for 2026 for a field of about 55,000, and a large share of that field gets in through guaranteed routes like charity, so most drawing applicants aren’t selected.
When do the 2027 Chicago Marathon lottery results come out?
Tuesday, December 8, 2026, by email. Selected runners have until 11:59 p.m. Central on December 15 to register and pay.
What are the Chicago Marathon qualifying times?
For 2027, men 16 to 34 need 2:50:00 and women and non-binary runners need 3:20:00, with slower standards in each age group after that. The time has to come from a certified marathon run between January 1, 2025 and October 29, 2026.
Does a qualifying time guarantee entry?
Yes, as long as you applied during the window with an official result from a certified course, and paid the entry fee by the November 10 deadline once you were approved. Near misses, half marathons and watch times don’t count.
How much does it cost to run the Chicago Marathon?
The 2027 entry fee is $250 for U.S. residents and $260 for everyone else. Charity entries cost $325 or $335 and come with a $2,500 minimum fundraising commitment.
Can I still get into the 2027 Chicago Marathon?
Yes. Official charities take runners until September 10, 2027 or until they fill, and tour operators take applications through August 10, 2027.
Written by
Jason Schmitt
Runner and designer in Raleigh, NC. Marathons through the 100K, Backyard Ultras, and a lot of reading what the coaches and the research actually say. Mile Twenty Labs is where it gets written down.
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