Both the men's and women's marathon world records were set in Chicago, by Ruth Chepng'etich (2:09:56) last year and by the late Kelvin Kiptum (2:00:35) in 2023. While Kiptum's mark will likely stand for a long time yet, John Korir triumphed in the Windy City 12 months ago by clocking in the eighth-fastest marathon of all time — can he break 2:02 this weekend?
You can watch Chicago Marathon 2025 from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE.
The 2025 Chicago Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 12. Full schedule below.
• Time: 8:20 a.m. ET / 5:20 a.m. PT / 1:20 p.m. BST / 11:20 p.m. AEDT
• FREE STREAM — YouTube / NBC Chicago (U.S.)
• FREE STREAM — Olympics.com (select countries)
• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free
Korir backed up his Chicago victory by winning Boston in April, and he's been very open about wanting to emulate Kiptum, the only person ever to break the 2:01 barrier. Running his first race on U.S. soil is wildcard Timothy Kiplagat, an erstwhile hard-drinking itinerant who turned his life around. The Kenyan, a former training partner of Kiptum, is the second-fastest man in the field and the 10th-fastest in history, but he's yet to win a World Marathon Major.
Hopes are high for half-marathon record holder Jacob Kiplimo after he finished second on his marathon debut in London in April, while two-time New York champion Geoffrey Kamworor is running Chicago for the first time. Conner Mantz is attempting to break the American record set by Khalid Khannouchi in London in 2002.
Chepng'etich's doping ban means there's a concordant will for the women's world record to be broken, and the runners that look best-placed to embrace the challenge are Irine Cheptai, who finished third in Chicago last year, debutant Hawi Feysa, who came third in Tokyo in March, and Haven Hailu Desse, who placed fourth in London.
Mary Ngugi-Cooper's career has been a marathon in itself. Having contested Bostonfor six years running, she's turning her attention to Chicago for the first time. With an elevation change of 9.75m (32 feet), The Chicago Marathon is one of the flattest and fastest of the World Marathon Majors.
Here's how to watch Chicago Marathon 2025 online and on TV — including free streaming options. We’ve also listed the full schedule below so you don't miss a moment.
Watch Chicago Marathon for FREE
You can watch Chicago Marathon 2025 free-of-charge on the NBA Chicago YouTube channel and the NBC Chicago website and app in the U.S., and on Olympics.com in Japan.
Away from home? You may not be able to watch the action like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution. Use a VPN to tune in for free — we’ll show you how below.
Watch Chicago Marathon 2025 from anywhere
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the race on your usual subscription?
You can still watch Chicago Marathon 2025 live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN — we explain why in our NordVPN review.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in Canada and want to view the free coverage you'd get south of the border, you'd select United States from the list of servers.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to YouTube or another streaming service and watch the 2025 Chicago Marathon.
How to watch Chicago Marathon live streams in the U.S.
As mentioned above, the 2025 Chicago Marathon is available to watch for free on the NBC Chicago YouTube channel in the U.S..
Free Chicago Marathon coverage is available via the NBC Chicago website and app too, which will also run an exclusive finish line feed from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
If you're on holiday outside the U.S., you can still tap into your free Chicago Marathon stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
How to watch Chicago Marathon 2025 live streams in the U.K, Canada and Australia
The Chicago Marathon is being shown on FloTrack in the U.K., Canada and Australia.
Prices are as follows (converted from $29.99/month and $150/year):
🇬🇧 ~ £22.40/month or ~ £112/year
🇨🇦 ~ CA$41.85/month or ~ CA$209/year
🇦🇺 ~ AU$45.57/month or ~ AU$227.94/year
In the U.K., the race is also being live streamed on the Discovery Plus Premium plan, which costs £30.99/month and carries everything on TNT Sports.
If you already use the service but aren't at home right now, you can live stream the race by using a good VPN.
Chicago Marathon start times and schedule 2025
(All times ET)
8:20 a.m. — Wheelchair men
8:21 a.m. — Wheelchair women
8:23 a.m. — Handcycle
8:30 a.m. — Elite men and women
8:35 a.m. — Wave 1 runners
9 a.m. — Wave 2 runners
9:35 a.m. — Wave 3 runners
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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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