Chicago Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
Second Sunday of October · Exceptionally flat and fast: the whole course stays within 8 m of elevation
A flat, grid-aligned loop starting and finishing in Grant Park, run since 1977. Wide streets, few turns, and reliable autumn weather have produced four world records. Brigid Kosgei broke the women's mark here in 2019 with 2:14:04. About 52,000 runners take part.
The Chicago Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast — rated 1/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the whole course stays within a 8 m (25 ft) band of elevation. The profile sums to about 230 ft (70 m) of cumulative up and down, but on a course this flat that total is bridges, underpasses and terrain-model noise rather than hills.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Chicago, IL, USA |
| Total ascent | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Total descent | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Elevation range | 8 m (25 ft) |
| Net elevation | +3 ft (+1 m) |
| Steepest grade | 2.7% |
| Difficulty | 1/5 |
| Field size | ≈52,000 runners |
| Race day | Second Sunday of October |
| Elevation from | USGS 3DEP ned10m (US, 10 m) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Key segments
| km 0–10 | Start to 10K. Flat: stays within 6 m. |
|---|---|
| km 10–21.1 | 10K to halfway. Flat: stays within 6 m. |
| km 21.1–30 | Halfway to 30K. Flat: stays within 4 m. |
| km 30–42.2 | 30K to the finish. Flat: stays within 6 m. |
Mile-by-mile splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill miles get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Mile | GAP pace /mi | GAP pace /km | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:03 | 5:37 | -12 ft (-4 m) | 9:03 |
| 2 | 9:16 | 5:45 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 18:19 |
| 3 | 9:01 | 5:36 | -16 ft (-5 m) | 27:19 |
| 4 | 9:15 | 5:45 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 36:34 |
| 5 | 9:14 | 5:44 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 45:48 |
| 6 | 9:03 | 5:37 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 54:51 |
| 7 | 9:10 | 5:42 | +1 ft (0 m) | 1:04:00 |
| 8 | 9:10 | 5:42 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:13:11 |
| 9 | 9:10 | 5:42 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:22:21 |
| 10 | 9:14 | 5:44 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 1:31:35 |
| 11 | 9:07 | 5:40 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 1:40:42 |
| 12 | 9:06 | 5:39 | -5 ft (-2 m) | 1:49:48 |
| 13 | 9:04 | 5:38 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 1:58:51 |
| 14 | 9:15 | 5:45 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:08:06 |
| 15 | 9:12 | 5:43 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 2:17:19 |
| 16 | 9:04 | 5:38 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 2:26:23 |
| 17 | 9:12 | 5:43 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 2:35:35 |
| 18 | 9:11 | 5:42 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:44:45 |
| 19 | 9:09 | 5:41 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:53:54 |
| 20 | 9:12 | 5:43 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 3:03:06 |
| 21 | 9:05 | 5:39 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:12:12 |
| 22 | 9:07 | 5:40 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 3:21:19 |
| 23 | 9:15 | 5:45 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:30:33 |
| 24 | 9:10 | 5:42 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:39:43 |
| 25 | 9:06 | 5:39 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:48:49 |
| 26 | 9:13 | 5:44 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:58:02 |
| 26.2 | 8:58 | 5:34 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Chicago Marathon flat or hilly?
The Chicago Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast (1/5 difficulty). The whole course stays within a 8 m (25 ft) band between its lowest and highest points.
How much elevation gain does the Chicago Marathon have?
About 230 ft (70 m) of total ascent and 230 ft (70 m) of descent, for a net change of +3 ft (1 m). On a course this flat that total is bridges, underpasses and terrain-model noise: the whole route stays within a 8 m (25 ft) band. Elevation is sampled from USGS 3DEP ned10m (US, 10 m) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Chicago Marathon course?
Not the terrain. No kilometre costs as much as 3% more effort than flat running by grade-adjusted pace, so wind, crowding in the first few kilometres and the closing 10 km decide the race rather than any climb.
How long is the Chicago Marathon?
42.195 km (26.2 miles), the standard marathon distance. Certified courses are measured along the shortest legal line with a small safety margin, so a GPS watch usually reads a few hundred metres long — you run wider than the measured line, and GPS adds error of its own. Pace off the course markers rather than your watch's distance in the closing kilometres.
When is the Chicago Marathon?
The Chicago Marathon is typically held on the second Sunday of October. The next edition is expected around October 10, 2027. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Chicago Marathon?
The field is roughly 52,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Chicago Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Chicago race
Courses like this one
- Berlin Marathon — 1/5 difficulty, 230 ft (70 m) ascent
- Osaka Marathon — 1/5 difficulty, 240 ft (70 m) ascent
- Valencia Marathon — 1/5 difficulty, 260 ft (80 m) ascent
How Chicago Marathon ranks
- Flattest marathon courses — ranked 4 of 20 (230 ft (70 m) of climbing)
- World Marathon Majors compared — ranked 2 of 7 (230 ft (70 m) of climbing)
- Biggest marathons by field size — ranked 4 of 20 (≈52,000 runners)
Official race site: https://www.chicagomarathon.com/