Interested in running the Chicago Marathon 2019?
You’re definitely not alone. Chicago Marathon is one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors races and will be both the lead and finishing race for the next WMM Series XIII.
When I first ran the Chicago Marathon in 2010, I was able to secure a spot upon paying my entry fee and the entries usually closed within 24 hours. Demand has only increased since then and I remember several application windows with a downed website and error messages, so it’s no wonder they switched to a lottery system.
Though the entry system is no longer pay-and-secure-entry, in my research and experience, it may be the easiest WMM to secure entry via the lottery.
That’s not to say Chicago is easy to get in. Demand will still outpace the field size as the demand for marathons increases.
Why is the race so popular?
The Chicago Marathon celebrates the best Chicago has to offer; the course starts in Grant Park and winds through 29 unique neighbourhoods and boisterous crowds. Though me and most of the participants won’t be finishing anywhere near Mo Farah’s or Brigid Kosgei’s 2019 wins, I will never forget the high fives in Boystown or my leaden legs as I fought my way north on Michigan Ave towards the finish line.
What is the Abbott World Marathon Majors?
Everyday runners, like me, can complete the series and earn a Six Star Finisher Medal in addition to traveling the world and running the best marathons in it.
The Chicago Marathon was my first World Marathon Major and my first star on my six star journey; I remember seeing the Abbott WMM booth at the expo. It drew me like a month to a flame and I immediately thought it would be amazing to travel the world and run these races.
Tens of thousands of runners will enter WMM lottery, thousands will have guaranteed entry, and many will apply for charity places.
So how can you secure a place for the 2019 race? Clearly, the demand is too great to sign up for a World Marathon Major race on a whim.
The key is to:
- know the ways to enter
- track key dates, and
- make your game plan.
I’ve broken down the ways your can enter and key dates, but I’ve also created an easy way for you to keep track.
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Key dates for Chicago Marathon 2019
Tracking Abbott World Marathon Major dates
I’ve created a public Google calendar that you can subscribe to; the calendar includes the key dates for this year’s Chicago Marathon* race.
[Google support]Subscribe to The Sarah Challenge’s Abbott World Marathon Majors Key Dates Calendar
TSCAWMMKDC Disclaimer: Please note I’ll do my best to keep the calendar up to date, but key information, dates, and times can change. This calendar is intended to be a helpful resource to the running community and fill a void I found when planning my six star journey; however, the individual marathons’ official websites or the World Marathon Majors official website should be consulted for the most up-to-date information!
*I’ll aim add future series races and key dates as they’re announced; this is a way for me to give back to an amazing running community while I continue on my Abbott World Marathon journey.
Key Dates
Race Day
- Sunday, 13 October 2019
Getting in
- Tuesday, 23 October 2018 – Applications for a guaranteed entry will open at 10 a.m. (CST)
- Tuesday, 30 October 2018 – The application for a non-guaranteed entry will open at 10 a.m. (CST)
- Thursday, 29 November 2018 – All applications will close at 2 p.m. (CST)
Entry status notification
- Thursday, 11 December 2018 – notification of entry status to be received
The Numbers
Cost: $205 (US residents); $220 (International)
2017 Field size: 44,341
Charity spots: 10,000
Ways to secure a spot
Guaranteed entry
Time qualifier
Are you pretty fast? Run a qualifing race anytime after 1 January 2017.
| Age group | Men | Women |
| 16-29 | 3:05:00 | 3:35:00 |
| 30-39 | 3:10:00 | 3:40:00 |
| 40-49 | 3:20:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 50-59 | 3:35:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 60-69 | 4:00:00 | 5:00:00 |
| 70-79 | 4:30:00 | 5:55:00 |
| 80+ | 5:25:00 | 6:10:00 |
Legacy finisher
Ran the Chicago Marathon five times in the last ten years? Claim your guaranteed entry. You have to have finished and races before 2009 won’t count.
Travel partners/Tour Operators
Of course, if you’ve missed the key dates or struck out in the lottery and charity applications, there are always tour operators; these are travel organisations who can provide you with race entry, flights, and hotels, all arranged from your home country.
Each marathon major has official travel partners or tour operators, so it’s best to research the partners and offerings to see if any of the packages work for you. I would encourage you to stick with official marathon tour operators to avoid any potential fraud.
Usually, travel partners located in the same country as the race are unable to provide entry and travel arrangements (for instance, a UK travel partner cannot provide a travel package to a UK resident wanting to run the London Marathon).
The Official Chicago Marathon Tour Group Program can be found here on the chicagomarathon.com.
Shamrock Shuffle 8k finisher
Finished the Shamrock Shuffle four or more times after 2009 and sign up for the 2019 Shamrock Shuffle race.
American Development (Elite)
Are you really fast? Run the below times in a qualifying race before 1 January 2017.
| Qualifying standards | Half marathon | Marathon |
| Men | sub 1:11:00 | sub 2:31:00 |
| Women | sub 1:21:00 | sub 3:01:00 |
| Men masters (age 40+) | sub 1:13:00 | sub 2:41:00 |
| Women Masters (age 40+) | sub 1:25:00 | sub 3:13:00 |
Charity
With 170+ official charities there is a good cause for everyone who wants to run in Chicago. Apply directly with your charity of choice, which will have a fundraising commitment that you are responsible to raise. Usually, if you do not raise the amount committed, you will be responsible to make up the difference.
Minimum fundraising commitment: $1250-1750
Note: several charities’ commitments before the drawing are $1250 and post-draw are $1750.
Spaces in 2018: 10,000+ [source]
Non-guaranteed entry (aka lottery/drawing)
Try your hand at the lottery and find out if you secured a spot on 11 December 2018. If you’re not successful, you can still secure a charity spot.
I was unable to find many details about the lottery and how many spaces there are, as numbers about the Chicago Marathon are rather hard to come by. Most running blogs with posts about the Chicago Marathon lottery odds reference this 2015 Runners’ article; however, in the three years now since those numbers were released, no newer figures appear to be available!
However, the article puts your chances in the lottery at 53%. (Much better odds than New York, Tokyo, London, or Berlin!)
My plans
As a former Chicagoan, the Chicago Marathon is my hometown race; because of this, I’ve already run the Chicago Marathon four times (so have unofficially claimed my first star four times!). However, if I run in 2019, I will be able to claim guaranteed entry status in the future, so I’m tempted to try my hand at the lottery!
(Plus, then I get to eat Lou Malnati’s.)
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2019 Chicago Marathon Resources
- Website: https://www.chicagomarathon.com
- Twitter: @ChiMarathon (Chicago Marathon) and @WMMajors (World Marathon Majors)
Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII Races (2018 & 2019)
Interested in running other races? Here are the dates!
- BMW-BERLIN MARATHON
Sunday, 16 September 2018 - Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Sunday, 7 October 2018 - TCS New York City Marathon
Sunday, 4 November 2018 - Tokyo Marathon
Sunday, 3 March 2019 - Boston Marathon
Monday, 15 April 2019 - Virgin Money London Marathon
Sunday, 28 April 2019 - BMW-BERLIN MARATHON
Sunday, 29 September 2019
Hotels Near Start
Booking.comHotels Near Finish
Booking.comYour plans
If you’re planning to run the 2019 Chicago Marathon, what’s your strategy? Are you guaranteed, entering the lottery, raising money for a good cause, or searching for a tour operator?
If you have run the Chicago Marathon, what are your thoughts/advice/experiences on the entry process and how did you like the race? Let me know in the comments!
Whatever route you decide, good luck and, as always, happy running!
I’m a Chicagoan living and working in London who loves running and currently training for my 14th marathon. I’m a keen bargain hunter, slow-cooker enthusiast, and DIYer who blogs about the meeting the challenges I set for myself.
