Course · +243 ft gain · Flat throughoutReconstructed from named climbs
MT ROOSEVELT (FINAL 0.4MI)
mile 25.8 · +25 ft · 1.2%
StartMile 7Mile 13Mile 20Finish
One of the flattest World Major courses. Negligible elevation, plus a small bump at mile 26 to the finish. Course rewards even pacing.
Built from this course's named climbs at their real mile markers; between them the line is interpolated, and the descent is placed using the course's curated shape classification rather than measured. It shows where the hard parts fall and how big they are, and it reproduces the real net change end to end — but it is not a GPX trace.
What this course asks of you
flat goal-pace miles
even-effort pacing discipline
no specific hill work required
Race morning
56→64 °F
Race-morning temperatureRace-morning temperature · Medium confidenceOpen-Meteo historical archive10-year history at the start line, sampled at the race start hour.Checked Jul 17, 2026Where this can be wrong: A normal is not a forecast. Any individual year can sit well outside it — this is the centre of the distribution, not a promise.
BMW Berlin · 58°FGrandma's · 55°FRBC Brooklyn Half · 60°FEugene · 45°FTCS London · 48°FBig Sur International · 53°FBoston · 49°FMountains 2 Beach · 54°FShamrock Virginia Beach · 48°FUnited Airlines NYC Half · 40°FTokyo · 48°FASICS LA · 52°FPublix Gasparilla · 60°FMercedes-Benz Birmingham · 38°FA1A (Fort Lauderdale) · 67°FA1A Half (Fort Lauderdale) · 67°FAscension Seton Austin · 46°FMesa · 50°FSurfside Beach Half · 55°FSurfside Beach · 55°FLife Time Miami Half · 67°FLife Time Miami · 68°FNaples · 60°FAramco Houston Half · 50°FKey West · 70°FChevron Houston · 47°FWalt Disney World · 55°FAmeris Bank Jacksonville · 50°FCalifornia International · 41°FSpace Coast Half · 62°FSpace Coast · 62°FTIAA Philadelphia · 42°FAllianz Richmond · 37°FCNO Indianapolis Monumental Half · 38°FCNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental · 44°FTCS NYC · 51°FMarine Corps · 48°FDetroit Free Press · 46°FChicago · 60°F
25°F90°F
Cooler than only 31% of the 39 races we track.
Dew point at the startDew point at the start · Medium confidenceOpen-Meteo historical archive10-year history at the start line, sampled at the race start hour.Checked Jul 17, 2026Where this can be wrong: Same caveat as temperature, and dew point varies more between years than temperature does.
BMW Berlin · 48°FGrandma's · 48°FRBC Brooklyn Half · 50°FEugene · 43°FTCS London · 40°FBig Sur International · 48°FBoston · 41°FMountains 2 Beach · 47°FShamrock Virginia Beach · 38°FUnited Airlines NYC Half · 28°FTokyo · 38°FASICS LA · 48°FPublix Gasparilla · 52°FMercedes-Benz Birmingham · 31°FA1A (Fort Lauderdale) · 58°FA1A Half (Fort Lauderdale) · 58°FAscension Seton Austin · 42°FMesa · 32°FSurfside Beach Half · 48°FSurfside Beach · 48°FLife Time Miami Half · 60°FLife Time Miami · 62°FNaples · 52°FAramco Houston Half · 40°FKey West · 62°FChevron Houston · 39°FWalt Disney World · 50°FAmeris Bank Jacksonville · 40°FCalifornia International · 40°FSpace Coast Half · 55°FSpace Coast · 55°FTIAA Philadelphia · 34°FAllianz Richmond · 31°FCNO Indianapolis Monumental Half · 30°FCNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental · 38°FTCS NYC · 43°FMarine Corps · 42°FDetroit Free Press · 39°FChicago · 52°F
10°F78°F
Drier than only 26% of the 39 races we track. Dew point, not humidity — it's what actually caps how fast you can shed heat.
Climbing per mileClimbing per mile · Medium confidenceThe race's published course dataTotal elevation gain divided by 26.2 miles.Checked Jul 17, 2026Where this can be wrong: Total gain only. We don't hold where on the course the climbing falls, so a course with one steep wall and one with constant rollers can share this number.
BMW Berlin · 9 ft/miGrandma's · 16 ft/miRBC Brooklyn Half · 20 ft/miEugene · 22 ft/miTCS London · 10 ft/miBig Sur International · 70 ft/miBoston · 31 ft/miMountains 2 Beach · 9 ft/miShamrock Virginia Beach · 2 ft/miUnited Airlines NYC Half · 44 ft/miTokyo · 9 ft/miASICS LA · 36 ft/miPublix Gasparilla · 8 ft/miMercedes-Benz Birmingham · 28 ft/miA1A (Fort Lauderdale) · 4 ft/miA1A Half (Fort Lauderdale) · 5 ft/miAscension Seton Austin · 38 ft/miMesa · 9 ft/miSurfside Beach Half · 1 ft/miSurfside Beach · 1 ft/miLife Time Miami Half · 6 ft/miLife Time Miami · 16 ft/miNaples · 2 ft/miAramco Houston Half · 6 ft/miKey West · 1 ft/miChevron Houston · 8 ft/miWalt Disney World · 14 ft/miAmeris Bank Jacksonville · 4 ft/miCalifornia International · 24 ft/miSpace Coast Half · 3 ft/miSpace Coast · 3 ft/miTIAA Philadelphia · 25 ft/miAllianz Richmond · 22 ft/miCNO Indianapolis Monumental Half · 7 ft/miCNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental · 12 ft/miTCS NYC · 32 ft/miMarine Corps · 25 ft/miDetroit Free Press · 10 ft/miChicago · 11 ft/mi
0 ft160 ft
Flatter than 51% of the 39 races we track.
Climate: 10-year history · Open-Meteo historical archive, sampled at the start line and start hour. The morning band is climatology plus uniform typical post-dawn warming, not a measured hourly series. Elevation from the race's published course data.
02
Can you qualify here
M 18-34 · 4:00:00
Boston Marathon (BQ)
+1:00:00
Standard
3:00:00
Your projection
4:00:00
Chance
0%
Realistic cutoff
2:54:34−5:26
Gap to cutoff
+1:05:26
Chance vs cutoff
0%
NYC Marathon Time Qualifier (marathon)
+1:07:00
Standard
2:53:00
Your projection
4:00:00
Chance
0%
03
Training plans for this race
Just Finish Strong
Build the habit, cross the line healthy
No eligible plan for 48 km/wk in 5 weeks.
Solid First Time
Race-ready training, target 4:00–4:30
No eligible plan for 48 km/wk in 5 weeks.
Ambitious BQ Track
Chase a Boston-relevant time, peak volume
No eligible plan for 48 km/wk in 5 weeks.
04
What the Bank of America Chicago Marathon really costs
A first marathon costs more than the entry fee — budget the whole weekend before you commit.
Entry fee
Entry fee · Medium confidenceThe organiser's registration pageThe price listed when this race was catalogued.Checked Jul 17, 2026Where this can be wrong: Most races raise the fee in tiers as race day approaches, so this is a floor rather than what you'll pay later.
Travel + 3 hotel nights (est.)
~$870from South Florida
Registration closes
Sun, November 30, 2025
All-in cost against the catalogAll-in cost estimate · Low confidenceMarathon Compass travel modelEntry plus travel and 3 hotel nights, estimated from South Florida.Where this can be wrong: A crude model, not a quote. It assumes one origin — if you don't fly from South Florida the travel half is close to meaningless for you.
BMW Berlin · ~$2,010Grandma's · ~$1,150RBC Brooklyn Half · ~$1,045Eugene · ~$1,255TCS London · ~$2,065Big Sur International · ~$1,655Boston · ~$1,505Mountains 2 Beach · ~$1,265Shamrock Virginia Beach · ~$740United Airlines NYC Half · ~$1,060Tokyo · ~$2,700ASICS LA · ~$1,255Publix Gasparilla · ~$281Mercedes-Benz Birmingham · ~$675A1A (Fort Lauderdale) · ~$145A1A Half (Fort Lauderdale) · ~$120Ascension Seton Austin · ~$780Mesa · ~$950Surfside Beach Half · ~$312Surfside Beach · ~$590Life Time Miami Half · ~$175Life Time Miami · ~$215Naples · ~$178Aramco Houston Half · ~$398Key West · ~$169Chevron Houston · ~$720Walt Disney World · ~$645Ameris Bank Jacksonville · ~$340California International · ~$1,150Space Coast Half · ~$175Space Coast · ~$260TIAA Philadelphia · ~$860Allianz Richmond · ~$750CNO Indianapolis Monumental Half · ~$415CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental · ~$750TCS NYC · ~$1,525Marine Corps · ~$1,170Detroit Free Press · ~$755Chicago · ~$705
$0$2,700
Cheaper than only 31% of the 39 races we price. Entry plus travel and 3 hotel nights, estimated from South Florida.
The original five-axis composite. It's kept for continuity and for the methodology page, but it mixes how hard a race is to run with how hard it is to enter — which is why the four dimensions above lead instead.
8.1/ 10 composite
Travel5.0
Distance and cost of getting there from home.
Logistics6.0
How hard it is to get an entry.
Climate9.0
Typical race-morning heat and dew point.
Terrain9.2
Climb and net gradient — how hard the ground is.
Field10.0
Field size and pacing support on course.
World Major. Flat. Drawing ~25% accept; charity option $2,200 min.
The verdict
Best forPrime BQ course
Course difficultyForgiving
Planning frictionHigh friction
Est. course effect+5:00 to +9:14
First-timer score8.9/10
If a Boston qualifier is the goal this cycle, Mesa Marathon is the stronger application on the same fitness — we estimate roughly 8 minutes between the two courses.
Race morning · 10-year history
Start temp
56 °F
Dew point
50 °F
Precipitation
0.5 mm
Typical race-morning total
Field size
52,150
Official pacers on course
Getting in · getting there
Entrylottery · $250
Draw closesNov 30, 2025
Trip estimate~$1,120
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a marathon held in Chicago, IL on October 11, 2026. With a Green Score of 8.1/10, it's one of the easier, more beginner-friendly US races. The course is flat (~9 ft of gain per mile). Typical race-day weather is a mild 56°F, dew point ~50°F (10-year history, Open-Meteo historical archive). It is a Boston-qualifying course. Entry is around $250. Marathon Compass rates every race across terrain, climate, logistics, travel, and field size so you can find the one that fits you — and build a training plan tuned to your fitness.
What the heat costs you at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
A typical race morning here scores 106 on the temperature-plus-dew-point scale our pace engine runs daily (56°F + 50°F, 10-year history (Open-Meteo)) — a 0.5% pace penalty. Heat is a minor factor here in a typical year — a small early-pace cushion is enough.
100
130
150
106 — typical race morning at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on the temp+dew scale (100 = no penalty · 130 = +2% · 150 = +4.5%)
Goal time
Realistic in typical conditions
Heat cost
3:30
3:31:03
+1 min
4:00
4:01:12
+1 min
4:30
4:31:21
+1 min
5:00
5:01:30
+2 min
Method: temp°F + dew°F lookup from the heat-adjustment chart our training plans use daily. Sign in to see this adjustment applied to your own projected finish.
Boston qualification status
Penalty-free Boston qualifierPenalty-free
Net descent of ~0 ft is well under the BAA's 1,500 ft adjustment threshold. Your clock time is your application time.
Computed under the BAA's downhill rules for the 2027 qualifying window (announced Sept 2025; verified July 2026): net start-to-finish descent of 1,500–2,999 ft adds 5:00, 3,000–5,999 ft adds 10:00, and 6,000 ft or more is not accepted. Net descent here is derived from our course elevation data — the BAA's official course designation controls. Sign in to see your projected finish graded against your age-group standard and the realistic acceptance cutoff.
Plan B: if entry doesn't go your way, Ameris Bank Jacksonville Marathon (December 12, 2026, open entry, Green Score 9.2) or Space Coast Marathon (November 22, 2026, open entry, Green Score 8.9) keeps the same training block on schedule.
Where to stay
Stay within walking distance of the start corrals — a 6am rideshare on race morning is a gamble. Hotels near the Bank of America Chicago Marathon start selling out 8–10 months ahead with race-weekend minimum stays — book refundable, book early. The links below are pre-filled for race weekend (October 9, 2026 → October 12, 2026).
Some hotel and book links may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. Official registration is never an affiliate.
Next
Plan the day itself.
When to wake up, when the corral closes, and the exact clock time Bank of America Chicago Marathon spectators should be at each split for your goal pace — plus a link you can send to whoever's coming to watch.
Every figure on this page, what it came from, and where it can be wrong. Ordered least-trustworthy first — the estimates are the ones worth checking yourself before they cost you money or a race.
Figure
Source
Checked
Confidence
All-in cost estimate
Marathon Compass travel modelA crude model, not a quote. It assumes one origin — if you don't fly from South Florida the travel half is close to meaningless for you.
—
Low confidence
Lottery acceptance
Historical lottery resultsDemand moves this a lot year to year. A race that gets popular can halve its acceptance rate in one cycle.
Jul 17, 2026
Low confidence
Race-morning temperature
Open-Meteo historical archiveA normal is not a forecast. Any individual year can sit well outside it — this is the centre of the distribution, not a promise.
Jul 17, 2026
Medium confidence
Dew point at the start
Open-Meteo historical archiveSame caveat as temperature, and dew point varies more between years than temperature does.
Jul 17, 2026
Medium confidence
Climbing per mile
The race's published course dataTotal gain only. We don't hold where on the course the climbing falls, so a course with one steep wall and one with constant rollers can share this number.
Jul 17, 2026
Medium confidence
Net gradient
The race's published course dataDrives the BAA downhill adjustment, so an error here changes the Boston verdict. Their official course designation is what actually counts.
Jul 17, 2026
Medium confidence
Entry fee
The organiser's registration pageMost races raise the fee in tiers as race day approaches, so this is a floor rather than what you'll pay later.
Jul 17, 2026
Medium confidence
Field size
The organiser or published resultsField sizes drift year to year and entries sold are not finishers.