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Chicago Half Marathon

Chicago, IL · Sun, September 27, 2026 · 07:00 start

The verdict

Great first half.

Forgiving to run · some friction to enter and reach.

CompareRegister
01

How it runs

Course shapeflat
START13.1 MI
11 ft climb / milefinishes level with the start

Schematic, not a course profile. The slope is the real net gradient from start to finish; the hatching is total climbing, drawn evenly because we don't yet hold where on the course it falls.

Race morning
60→64 °F
Race-morning temperatureRace-morning temperature · High confidenceNOAA 1991–2020 climate normals30-year normal 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.
25°F90°F

Cooler than only 18% of the 39 races we track.

Dew point at the startDew point at the start · High confidenceNOAA 1991–2020 climate normals30-year normal 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.
10°F78°F

Drier than only 18% 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 13.1 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.
0 ft160 ft

Flatter than only 44% of the 39 races we track.

Climate: 30-year normal · NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, 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

NYC Marathon TQ (via half marathon)

+34:07
Standard
1:21:00
Your projection
1:55:07
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 3 weeks.

Solid First Time

Race-ready training, target 4:00–4:30

No eligible plan for 48 km/wk in 3 weeks.

Ambitious BQ Track

Chase a Boston-relevant time, peak volume

No eligible plan for 48 km/wk in 3 weeks.

04

What the Chicago Half 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.)
~$570from South Florida
All-in cost against the catalogAll-in cost estimate · Low confidenceMarathon Compass travel modelEntry plus travel and 1 hotel night, estimated from South Florida. Halves assume a shorter trip than the catalog's race-weekend baseline — 2 nights removed at an assumed $150/night.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.
$0$2,700

Cheaper than 59% of the 39 races we price. Entry plus travel and 1 hotel night, estimated from South Florida. Halves assume a shorter trip than the catalog's race-weekend baseline — 2 nights removed at an assumed $150/night.

Register for the Chicago Half Marathon →
05

Green Score breakdown

Method →

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.

8.4/ 10 composite

Travel5.0

Distance and cost of getting there from home.

Climate8.0

Typical race-morning heat and dew point.

Field8.5

Field size and pacing support on course.

Terrain9.6

Climb and net gradient — how hard the ground is.

Logistics10.0

How hard it is to get an entry.

Lakefront. Flat. Late summer can be warm.

The verdict
Best forGreat first half
Course difficultyForgiving
Planning frictionSome friction
Est. course effect—
First-timer score8.9/10
Race morning · 30-year normal
Start temp
60 °F
Dew point
52 °F
Precipitation
—

Typical race-morning total

Field size
6,000

Official pacers on course

Getting in · getting there
Entryopen · $135
Registration closes—
Trip estimate~$705

About the Chicago Half Marathon

The Chicago Half Marathon is a half marathon held in Chicago, IL on September 27, 2026. With a Green Score of 8.4/10, it's one of the easier, more beginner-friendly US races. The course is flat (~11 ft of gain per mile). Typical race-day weather is a mild 60°F, dew point ~52°F (30-year normal, NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals). Entry is around $135. 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 Chicago Half Marathon

A typical race morning here scores 112 on the temperature-plus-dew-point scale our pace engine runs daily (60°F + 52°F, 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020)) — a 1% pace penalty. Heat is a minor factor here in a typical year — a small early-pace cushion is enough.

100
130
150
112 — typical race morning at the Chicago Half Marathon on the temp+dew scale (100 = no penalty · 130 = +2% · 150 = +4.5%)
Goal timeRealistic in typical conditionsHeat cost
1:451:46:03+1 min
2:002:01:12+1 min
2:152:16:21+1 min
2:302:31:30+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.

Entry strategy

Entry is open — register before it sells out and the decision is made.

  1. Race daySeptember 27, 2026in 21d
Official registration →Add these dates to your calendar (.ics)

Where to stay

Stay within walking distance of the start corrals — a 6am rideshare on race morning is a gamble. Book a refundable rate now and forget about it; inventory tightens in the final month. The links below are pre-filled for race weekend (September 25, 2026 → September 28, 2026).

Race-weekend hotels on Booking.com →Compare on Expedia →

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 Chicago Half Marathon spectators should be at each split for your goal pace — plus a link you can send to whoever's coming to watch.

Build your race-day timeline →
Compare head-to-head

Evidence

Audited 2026-07-17

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.

FigureSourceCheckedConfidence
All-in cost estimateMarathon 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
Climbing per mileThe 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, 2026Medium confidence
Net gradientThe 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, 2026Medium confidence
Entry feeThe 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, 2026Medium confidence
Field sizeThe organiser or published resultsField sizes drift year to year and entries sold are not finishers.Jul 17, 2026Medium confidence
Race dateThe organiser's own siteOrganisers occasionally move a date after announcing it.Jul 17, 2026High confidence
Race-morning temperatureNOAA 1991–2020 climate normalsA 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, 2026High confidence
Dew point at the startNOAA 1991–2020 climate normalsSame caveat as temperature, and dew point varies more between years than temperature does.Jul 17, 2026High confidence

Fees, dates and qualifying rules change often, and we would rather hear it from you than have it sit here wrong — report incorrect information.