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Marathoners, take a deep breath and relax. Despite a rainy few days leading up to the race, the forecast looks good for the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 9. So leave your rain gear at home and throw on an old long sleeve shirt, cause you’ll be running in personal best-worthy temperatures.
Over the past decade, Chicago’s average October low is 43 degrees Fahrenheit and its average high is 63 degrees. Luckily, the weather during this year’s Chicago Marathon mimics those averages. Expect a dry race day with a low of 43 and a high of 66, according to Weather.com.
That’s good news. For reference, when Brigid Kosgei set the world record in the 2019 Chicago Marathon, the low was 39 degrees and the high was 53. While the 2022 race won’t be quite that chilly, the high won’t reach the 60s until the afternoon. And don’t worry—it’s not nearly as hot as the 2007 Chicago Marathon that was canceled after three and a half hours because the 88-degree high was much too hot for safe running.
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While it won’t be so hot that you’re dying of thirst, it might warm up enough towards the end that you should know how to handle it. Chicago Marathon volunteers hand out 66,048 gallons of water and 32,928 gallons of Gatorade across 20 aid stations, so make sure to take advantage. But don’t fret if you miss one—another will be come up in just over a mile. Volunteers will also hand out Gatorade gels before mile 14 and after mile 18. Bananas will be handed out at all stations after mile 22.
So what does this all mean for your race? You trained, you tapered, you know when to grab water and electrolytes, and the weather looks great—might as well chase a personal best.
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
