Running Chicago on 11 October 2026? Collect your own bib at the McCormick Place expo on 8, 9 or 10 October, then use the start time and corral deadline for your wave on race morning. The organiser says there is no race-day or postal packet pickup. All times below are Chicago local time (CDT, UTC−5); recheck the official participant information before travelling.
Which day should I go to the expo?
The Abbott Health & Fitness Expo is at McCormick Place, North Building, Level 3, Hall B1. The published hours are Thursday 8 October, 10:00–18:00; Friday 9 October, 09:00–18:00; and Saturday 10 October, 09:00–18:00. Hours may change. The organiser requires you to collect your own packet in person with a photo ID and the emailed packet-pickup ticket. It says that email is due on 30 September; another runner cannot collect for you. If the ticket is missing, the official instructions direct runners to Participant Services for registration verification. These rules and hours come from the organiser’s participant page and expo page.
A practical travel check: a flight landing late on Saturday leaves very little margin before the 18:00 expo close. Work backward from the time you can reach McCormick Place, including baggage and transit, rather than from the flight’s scheduled landing time. This is a planning inference, not an organiser rule.
When do the start areas open and close?
Grant Park and the corrals open at 05:30 on Sunday 11 October. The organiser’s race-day schedule lists these corral closing times: Wave 1 at 07:20, Wave 2 at 07:45 and Wave 3 at 08:10. The corresponding wave starts are 07:35, 08:00 and 08:35. A closing time is a deadline to be inside your assigned corral, not a recommended time to arrive at the park. Check your own packet ticket and the official corral information for your assignment.
For a runner or supporter abroad, Chicago is on CDT (UTC−5) that weekend. As a conversion example, a 07:35 Chicago start is 21:35 in Japan on 11 October. Keep the local date and time in your phone calendar: travel itineraries and family tracking can otherwise mix time zones. The organiser warns that its listed times may change.
What should I settle before race morning?
- Route to Grant Park: check the organiser’s transportation page and current CTA service. Road closures can disrupt car trips; the organiser describes public transit as a convenient option.
- Gear: the official gear-check rules require the event-issued clear bag and the gear tag attached to it. Gear check opens at 05:30 and closes at 16:00; do not assume another bag will be accepted.
- Course fuel: the official course page lists 20 aid stations, two gel depots near miles 12.4 and 18.1, and a 6-hour-30-minute course time limit. Build a tested fueling plan around your own pace and needs; do not rely on a depot being the sole source of fuel. See our carbohydrate-per-hour calculation for the arithmetic (the linked article is in Japanese).
Last check: save the official 2026 participant guide and recheck it close to race week. This independent checklist was checked on 18 September 2026; the event is on 11 October, and the organiser’s latest instructions take precedence.
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