Grant Park, the Magnificent Mile, Mount Roosevelt – yes, the marathon race, which has given 6 world records in the open divisions, is back in Chicago for the 47th edition. The 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon promises even more thrill, especially in the men’s division, as the race, one of the six World Marathon Majors  (WMM) races, sees the return of some big names in distance running.

The Chicago Marathon, known for its almost flat course, always promises fast times and even records, which won’t be an exception this time when the 26.2-mile distance is run on October 12. More than 53000 participants are set to test their endurance, speed, and grit in the various categories given below.

The professional men and women open division marathon will start at 7:30 a.m. CT. The Wheelchair Marathon for the men’s division starts at 7:20 a.m., while for women, the time is 7:21 a.m. The Handcycle starts at  7:23 a.m.

Wave 1 (corrals A, B, C, D, and E) starts at 7:30 a.m. The Wave 2 (corrals F, G, H, and J) begins their race at 8:00 a.m., whereas the Wave 3 (corrals K, L, M, and N) start is scheduled at 8:35 a.m. So, let’s see what’s on offer for the racers this Sunday.

How much is the Chicago Marathon 2025 prize money?

The prize purse of the event for the men’s and women’s open divisions adds up to $560,000. And the wheelchair division payout is about $240,000, according to official sources.

Prize money for men’s and women’s open division:

1st –  $100,000

2nd – $75,000

3rd –  $50,000

4th –  $30,000

5th –  $25,000

Prize money in the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions:

1st –  $40,000

2nd – $30,000

3rd –  $20,000

4th –  $15,000

5th –  $10,000

6th –  $5,000

And there’s more on offer. The masters division (aged 40 years and above) pays out $2,000 for the top finisher, while 2nd and 3rd-place finishes earn $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. There’s a cash prize separately for the American racers, this being one of the three major marathon racers in the USA.

American men’s and women’s open divisions prize pool:

1st –  $15,000

2nd – $12,000

3rd –  $10,000

4th –  $7,000

5th –  $5,000

As has been the norm, world records are handsomely rewarded, the bonus prize being another $50,000, and the winner also gets 25 WMM points towards the World Marathon Majors series. The top 5 get a cash prize of $50,000, $25,000, $12,500, $7,500, $5,000. Here are the points earned by the top 5 finishers:

1st –  25 points

2nd – 16 points

3rd –    9 points

4th –    4 points

5th –    1 points

All the marathon races in a season, only the points from the best two performances get evaluated for the final results. For the wheelchair category, it is just a bit different, with results from 4 races being calculated (or best 5 during years with Paralympic Games or World Championship marathons).

Who are the top elite runners to watch in the Chicago Marathon 2025?

The men’s open division has a competitive field, having 6 participants with a sub 2:04. So, expect a nail-biter in this one in 2025. Kenya’s John Korir returns as the defending champion, hoping to make it a second straight win in Chicago. He also has the second-fastest time here, 2:02:44, set last year. And he is fresh from his Boston Marathon win in 2025. But he will be challenged by compatriot Timothy Kiplagat, the 2024 Tokyo Marathon runner-up, and Amos Kipruto, another Kenyan, who came 3rd in the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

Another challenge to Korir’s ambitions can be Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who will be running only his 2nd marathon. But getting a 2nd-placed finish in the London marathon makes him the new big threat, especially if you take into account his record-breaking exploits in the half-marathon distance. He became the first man in history to run under 57 minutes (56:42) in Barcelona this February.

Besides them are also Bashir Abdi, the two-time Olympic medalist from Belgium, Mohamed Esa, the Ethiopian who finished second in the Chicago Marathon last year, and Geoffrey Kamworor, the two-time New York City Marathon champion, who is set to make his debut in the penultimate World Marathon Major of the year. Who else? There’s Conner Mantz leading the American contingent, who is expected to test the American record of 2:05:38 set by Khalid Khannouchi.

After a 2:05:08 run in Boston, Mantz looks set for a successful race in the Windy City. Some other notable names in the 2024 Chicago Marathon are Galen Rupp, the 2017 champion and two-time Olympic medalist. While Rupp is a veteran at 39 years old, the new wave of American distance racing sees Ryan Ford (2:08:00, 10th-place finish from Boston), Matt Richtman, and Rory Linkletter looking to make their mark among the elites.

John Korir, Kenya, 2:02:44 (Chicago, 2024)

Timothy Kiplagat, Kenya, 2:02:55 (Tokyo, 2024)

Amos Kipruto, Kenya, 2:03:13 (Tokyo, 2023)

CyBrian Kotut, Kenya, 2:03:22 (Berlin, 2024)

Bashir Abdi, Belgium, 2:03:36 (Rotterdam, 2021)

Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda, 2:03:37 (London, 2025)

Philemon Kiplimo, Kenya, 2:04:01 (Hamburg, 2025)

Geoffrey Kamworwor, Kenya, 2:04:23 (London, 2023)

Huseydin Mohamed Esa, Ethiopia, 2:04:39 (Chicago, 2024)

Conner Mantz, USA, 2:05:08 (Boston, 2025)

Daniel Ebenyo, Kenya, 2:06:04 (Chicago, 2024)

Galen Rupp, USA, 2:06:07 (Prague, 2018)

Hiroto Inoue, Japan, 2:06:14 (Tokyo, 2025)

Zouhair Talbi, Morocco, 2:06:39 (Houston, 2024)

Matt Richtman, USA, 2:07:56 (Los Angeles, 2025)

Ryan Ford, USA, 2:08:00 (Boston, 2025)

Rory Linkletter, Canada, 2:08:01 (Seville, 2024)

CJ Albertson, USA, 2:08:17 (Chicago, 2024)

Hideyuki Tanaka, Japan, 2:09:27 (Tokyo, 2025)

Patricio Castillo, Mexico, 2:10:40 (Seville, 2023)

Marc Scott, Great Britain, 2:11:19 (London, 2024)

Colin Mickow, USA, 2:11:22 (Chandler, 2020)

Kevin Salvano, USA, 2:11:26 (Chicago, 2023)

Nick Hauger, USA, 2:11:55 (Sacramento, 2024)

Robert Miranda, USA, 2:12:07 (Sacramento, 2024)

Afewerki Zeru, USA, 2:18:54 (Porto, 2023)

Casey Clinger, USA, Debut

Tai Dinger, USA, Debut

For the women’s field, we are expecting some surprise newcomer to rise as the new champion, especially as defending champion and world record setter Ruth Chepngetich got suspended in April 2025. Her time of 2:09:56 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, however, is unlikely to be tested. But still, Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu (2:16:34 in the 2024 London Marathon and 3rd-place finish in Chicago 2023) leads a field that promises a quality race.

Alemu faces competition from compatriot Hawi Feysa, the 3rd-place finisher at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon with 2:17:00. And there is Irine Cheptai from Kenya, who was third here last year. Joining them are Bedatu Hirpa, the 26-year-old who had four wins in her last five marathons on the sub-Major level, and Haven Hailu Desse, who finished fourth in the 2025 London Marathon with a time of 2:19:17.

The 2025 Chicago Marathon also awaits the highly anticipated marathon debut of Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, who is a 10,000m World Championships bronze medalist. Her performance in the 5000m, 10000m, and half-marathon races promises a successful transition. So, we wait and watch. Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery, the second-fastest British woman in history, also makes her Chicago debut after running 2:21 in the Berlin Marathon in 2024.

Kenya’s Mary Ngugi-Cooper, a regular name in the Marathon top 10s, is also participating in Chicago. As for the Americans, Lindsay Flanagan, Natosha Rogers, and Gabi Rooker set personal bests in 2024, making the field quite competitive. The women’s race could be tightly packed going into the final miles, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Megertu Alemu, Ethiopia, 2:16:34 (London, 2024)

Hawi Feysa, Ethiopia, 2:17:00 (Tokyo, 2025)

Irine Cheptai, Kenya, 2:17:51 (Chicago, 2024)

Bedatu Hirpa, Ethiopia, 2:18:27 (Dubai, 2025)

Haven Hailu Desse, Ethiopia, 2:19:17 (London, 2025)

Mary Ngugi-Cooper, Kenya, 2:20:22 (London, 2022)

Calli Hauger-Thackery, Great Britain, 2:21:24 (Berlin, 2024)

Lindsay Flanagan, USA, 2:23:31 (Chicago, 2024)

Natosha Rogers, USA, 2:23:51 (Nagoya, 2025)

Florencia Borelli, Argentina, 2:24:18 (Seville, 2024)

Gabi Rooker, USA, 2:24:29 (Chicago, 2024)

Dakotah Popehn, USA, 2:24:40 (Chicago, 2023)

Melody Julien, France, 2:25:01 (Valencia, 2023)

Philippa Bowden, Great Britain, 2:25:47 (Berlin, 2024)

Aubrey Frentheway, USA, 2:27:14 (Duluth, 2025)

Maggie Montoya, USA, 2:27:50 (Rotterdam, 2025)

Loice Chemnung, Kenya, Debut

Ejgayehu Taye, Ethiopia, Debut

Emily Venters, USA, Debut

How does Chicago compare with other World Marathon Majors in prize money?

While Chicago pays handsomely for its participants, it’s still not the race with the largest prize purse among the Abbott World Marathon Majors. That honor belongs to The Boston Marathon, which happens to be the highest-paying marathon in North America, paying out more than a million dollars. US marathons are generally high-paying, with Chicago having a guaranteed prize purse of around $900,000 before bonuses. New York has a similar prize purse, but the 2025 figures aren’t available. In 2024, the purse was $855,000 before bonuses.

But these are still higher than London ($467,000 before bonuses), Berlin ($197,000 before bonuses), and Tokyo ($300,000 before bonuses). Mind you, the Berlin Marathon figure doesn’t include the wheelchair prize purse, the information for which couldn’t be retrieved.

What other awards and bonuses are available in the Chicago Marathon 2025?

The other bonuses in the Chicago Marathon are as follows:

In addition to these, there are appearance fees charged by the prominent marathon runners, which can go up to $250K or even higher. Then there are shoe sponsor bonuses, which can range between $50-75K for a major win.

2025 Chicago Marathon Medal

The 2025 medal is a precisely crafted piece of beauty with designs on both the front and the back. The front has the city’s flag and skyline with the words ‘Bank of America Chicago Marathon’ engraved along with four stars. On the flip side, there’s the date of the race, an outline of the marathon’s course, along with the words Chicago Distance Series inscribed.

A beautiful medallion, a symbol of recognition for those crossing the finishing line after an arduous 26.2 miles of toil, perseverance, and not giving up. Although some athletes have made these marathons their staple. They choose to register in these races regularly as a healthy lifestyle is non-negotiable.

Where can you watch the Chicago Marathon 2025 live?

For the ones willing to watch it, spectator access to Grant Park (the start and the end of the marathon) begins: 9:30 a.m. Folks can even watch the marathon live on television on NBC 5 Chicago channel (USA) and Telemundo Chicago (Mexico). The timings are 7-11 a.m. CT. In case you want to stream, you can go to NBC 5 Chicago News, available on Peacock’s homepage on race day.

You can also stream it on other platforms like Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity, and FreeVee. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon mobile app also allows you to track the runners in real time. So, get ready for the 2025 Chicago Marathon, the race that will once again showcase the intense thrill as well as the test of endurance that only a marathon can bring.