On 11th October 2026 I took part in the Chicago Marathon. This was my 17th marathon of 2026, 195th marathon (plus), and 7th time in Chicago. It was my 144th time as an official pacer, 81st marathon as a pacer, and 6th time pacing Chicago Marathon.
It was a lovely trip to Chicago, travelling with Scott. We landed at 13:50 on Friday, and had a quick transition through airport security, and travelled straight to the expo. We collected our bibs and pacing kit, then had a look around the expo. I purchased a visor and got my nutrition from Saltstick.
We stayed in Chinatown, so after checking in, we went Downtown for our first Deep Dish of the weekend.
Chicago 5k
We had an early start for the Chicago 5k. A nice way to start the weekend, and also for spectators to get involved in the race weekend.
I decided to aim for around 21 minutes, but mindful not to push to hard the day before the marathon. I actually felt fantastic and ended up finishing in 20:45, still feeling great. This is a real confidence boost for me, at a time that I’m considering trying to train to pick up the pace myself.
My boy has really found a joy of running and is actively improving each week, so I need to match that improvement to keep supporting. It is win win, I get to support him and watch him improve, and I have motivation to improve myself.
After the 5k we went to Yolk for a gorgeous breakfast. We took our time and had a relaxing morning before making our way to the expo for our 12-3 shift at the Pace Team stand.
I enjoy doing my shift at the expo. It is an opportunity to talk with many runners before race day, to offer advice and answer questions.
After the expo we went for my favourite restaurant for another Deep Dish. A great way to finish the day, followed by a walk around Downtown and back for an early night.
Chicago Marathon 2026
It is a very early start as a pacer for Chicago Marathon. The gates to race village open at 5:30, so we left around 4:30 via dunkin donut for a coffee to start the day. We arrived before the opening, so we could get straight to the Pacers Tent, to help set up and get ready.
We are very privileged to have our own private area, and we made our way to the start area at a scheduled time. I was pacing with Eric and Andrew, and it was a pleasure. We were there for about 40 minutes before we started and I used this time to give a race brief for runners.
I talked about the course, our race strategy, but importantly aimed to calm nerves, encourage excitement and motivate everyone for the start of a fantastic day.
We had such a large group of engaged runners, and I knew immediately it was going to be a good day.
The start of Chicago Marathon is very wide, so despite such large numbers, we avoid congestion at the beginning. There is notoriously poor GPS for the first few miles which means it is difficult to pace, it is done based on feel and mile markers. It also means that Strava doesn’t record splits accurately.
We managed to be on pace from the outset and I aimed to gradually build to 30 seconds ahead of schedule. When I reached this goal I held on to it. Eric and Andrew took the front of our group at this point, running around 10 to 20 seconds ahead of me, and I held the rear. With a large group of runners around us.
The crowd support this year was better than ever. I’ve always loved the vibe in Chicago, but the city really came alive this year and it was magical. I almost lost my voice keeping the runners around me motivated and interacting with the crowds.
I am proud that I held a steady pace from start to finish, but even more proud of the runners stayed on pace with me. So many PB / PR, so many happy smiles throughout and just a fantastic day. It was hot out there and this impacted a lot of people. So for all those who found success, there are those that did their best but did not hit their time. They come to fight another day. Not every day goes to plan, but you learn, you grow and you try again.
The finish line was good to see. I finished just behind Eric and Andrew in 3:59:36.
What I did not realise at the time is this is the exact same time I achieved 2 weeks ago pacing Berlin Marathon.
The 27th Mile After Party was fun, I enjoyed a few beers to finish the day before a flight home.
For all those who ran the Chicago Marathon… well done.