Preparing for the 2026 Chicago Marathon: flat, fast, but mind the wind

A course built for even pacing

Under 40 metres of climbing, wide turns, a perfect surface: Chicago is run at a constant pace from the first kilometre to the last. The only rise is the small Roosevelt Road bridge, 300 metres before the finish.

This profile rewards runners who have learned to hold a pace to the tenth of a second. The plan devotes the six central weeks to it, with 8-to-16 km blocks at marathon pace on flat ground.

Wind, the only variable of the day

Chicago is nicknamed the Windy City for a reason. The long north-south straights are exposed to the lake wind, which can blow at 20 or 30 km/h. A headwind over 5 km easily costs 45 seconds.

The answer: run in a tight group and accept the gap on exposed stretches rather than fighting it. Your watch shows the target pace; on windy sections, aim for the low end of the range without guilt.

Preparing an October race during summer

The plan starts in June or July, in full heat. The AI coach applies its hot-day rule: above 28 °C, paces are reduced by 3 to 5% and heart rate takes over as the main target.

• — June-July: volume, paces adapted to the heat.
• — August: 2 h to 2 h 45 long runs, marathon-pace blocks in the cool of the morning.
• — September: progressive taper, last long run three weeks out.

Do not compare your July times with your October goals: a threshold session run at 30 °C at the "heat" pace is worth exactly the planned session. The coach's weekly review, with the training load read from Garmin, tells you whether progress is there.

Frequently asked questions