Walkers, runners and joggers from all walks of life each year take part in the Chicago Marathon — and TODAY show host and avid walker Al Roker will join the NBC 5 Chicago morning crew in the city Friday for a first look at race weekend.
Whether you're planning to run, watch along the route or from home as a spectator, there's a lot to take in -- including logistics like road closures, adjusted public transportation schedules and more.
Along the 26.2-mile trek, runners will be guided across 29 neighborhoods, dozens of historic landmarks and six Chicago River bridges. All marathon participants are expected to complete the distance in at least six hours and 30 minutes, which means runners will have to tread a 15-minute — or faster — pace per mile.The marathon will get underway at 7:20 a.m. with the men's wheelchair start, which will be followed shortly by the women's wheelchair start at 7:21 a.m. The handcycle start will then commence at 7:23 a.m.
Wave 2 will kick off at 8 a.m., with the start corral closing at 7:45 a.m. Organizers suggest that runners in this wave arrive at 6 a.m.