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Published: 07 October 2026

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Championship to feature 20 American men and 20 American women competing for national titles and $110,000 in prize money

INDIANAPOLIS — The best American marathoners will race for national championships on one of the world’s most iconic marathon courses when the 2027 USA Track & Field Marathon Championships come to Chicago on Sunday, October 10, 2027, in conjunction with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The championship will bring together 20 of the nation’s top American men and 20 top American women on the streets of Chicago, creating an elite championship field within one of the world’s largest and most prestigious marathons. Chicago Event Management (CEM), organizers of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, will serve as the Local Organizing Committee for the Championships.

To accommodate additional athletes seeking to achieve the qualifying standard for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will also expand its High Performance Program to 300 participants allowing more runners into the field.

“Chicago is one of the world’s great marathon cities, and we are excited to bring the USATF Marathon Championships to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon,” said Max Siegel, CEO of USA Track & Field. “This national championship will be a major part of ensuring Team USA is built for LA 2028 and we look forward to the nation’s top runners showcasing their fitness and working to secure their spots in the 2028 Olympic Team Trials – Marathon.”

The championship field will be comprised of top American professional marathoners selected through established qualification and selection criteria, creating a competitive field of 20 men and 20 women. A nearly $110,000 prize purse will be awarded through 10th place in both the men's and women's competitions. 

Broadcast in Chicago on NBC and streamed nationally on Peacock, The USATF Marathon Championships will receive dedicated coverage within the Bank of America Chicago Marathon broadcast, with additional cameras focused on the American men and women competing for the national titles.  

“The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a long history of bringing together the best distance runners in the world,” said Carey Pinkowski, Executive Race Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. “This is our opportunity to ensure Team USA’s top runners can compete in a world class field and in a world class race as they prepare for a big year in 2028.”

 The 49th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will welcome thousands of participants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The Abbott World Marathon Majors event features an iconic 26.2-mile course that takes runners through 29 Chicago neighborhoods, with more than a million spectators lining the streets each year.

Applications for guaranteed and non-guaranteed entries to the 2027 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will open to the general public at 8 a.m. Central Time on Thursday, October 8, and will close at 2 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, October 29.

More information about athlete selection and entry procedures for the 2027 USATF Marathon Championships will be announced at a later date. 

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ABOUT USATF 

Based in Indianapolis, USA Track & Field® (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long distance running, and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the number one high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

ABOUT THE BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON

In its 49th year on Sunday, October 10, 2027, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will welcome thousands of participants from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a world-class professional athlete field, top regional and Masters runners, race veterans, debut marathoners and charity participants. The race’s iconic course takes participants through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and cultural tour of Chicago. Annually, more than a million spectators line the streets cheering on tens of thousands of participants from the start line to the final stretch down Columbus Drive. As a result of the race’s national and international draw, the Chicago Marathon assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes while generating over $756 million in annual economic impact to its host city. The 2027 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 10, 2027. In advance of the race, a three-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center in 2027 on Thursday, October 7, Friday, October 8, and Saturday, October 9. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com.