Chicago Marathon weekend: Road closures, start times, and weather forecast

Chicago is bracing for a busy marathon weekend as more than 55,000 runners from over 130 countries prepare to run the 26.2-mile Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The marathon is scheduled for Sunday, October 11.

Road closures and traffic

Major streets around Grant Park, the race’s start and finish point, will close as early as 4:00 a.m. Sunday and remain shut until 8:00 p.m. Key closures include Jackson Drive, Balbo Drive, Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue from Madison to Roosevelt Road, and Roosevelt Road from Michigan to Columbus Drive.

The Abbot Chicago 5K on Saturday morning will also affect traffic from about 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. DuSable Lake Shore Drive and expressways remain open, and Metra will offer extra service. A Federal Aviation Administration temporary flight restriction will prohibit unauthorized drones from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday.

Warm race day conditions

Forecasters expect temperatures to climb into the upper 60s to mid-70s, unseasonably warm, with the normal high for October 11 at 65 degrees. Organizers are urging runners to heed the yellow flag warning by slowing their pace and staying hydrated.

According to the marathon’s chief medical and safety officer, Dr. George Chiampas, temperatures can run 3-5 degrees warmer between miles 14 and 19 due to heat-trapping asphalt and limited shade.

Expo and race day

The Abbott Health and Fitness runs through Saturday at McCormick Place, where runners must pick up packets.

The marathon starts at 7:20 a.m. Sunday, October 11, with the wheelchair race, followed by the open field at 7:30 a.m.