It’s that time of year again. While the fall marathoning season can bring PR-worthy conditions, there’s always the threat of a random cold front moving in or August rearing its head.
But if you’re running at Sunday’s Chicago Marathon, you’re in for a treat. The forecast looks near-perfect, with temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s on race morning with some cloud coverage and mild wind. The humidity is predicted to be in the 50 to 70 percent range, and no rain is expected.
Some of you might be breathing a sigh of relief. The first week of October has been unseasonably warm in the Windy City so far, with daily highs in the low 80s early in the week, until dropping down to the 60s on Thursday. Luckily, the weekend has brought back cooler conditions.
Here’s a quick look at the forecast for Sunday, according to Weather Underground.
Time | Temp. (F) | Feels Like | Wind |
5:00 a.m. | 46° | 43° | 7 mph W |
7:00 a.m. | 47° | 43° | 7 mph WNW |
9:00 a.m. | 49° | 45° | 8 mph WNW |
11:00 a.m. | 52° | 49° | 9 mph WNW |
1:00 p.m. | 53° | 51° | 9 mph WNW |
3:00 p.m. | 54° | 52° | 9 mph NW |
Published: Oct 05, 2023 9:56 AM EST 2019 Chicago Marathon—which saw Brigid Kosgei set the (now broken) women’s world record of 2:14:04—had great weather. Temperatures were in the low to mid 40s in the morning before peaking at 55 degrees at 2 p.m. Last year’s race was a bit warmer, with temperatures in the high 40s early in the morning before rising as high as 71 degrees in the mid-afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, October 8 in Chicago has historically had an average temperature of 57 degrees.
Last years race, Tigst Assefa took down Kosgei’s world record by over two minutes, partially thanks to marathon-friendly weather. Conditions were in the high 50s with some cloud coverage.
If you’ve been keeping up with running news, you know that poor marathon weather can drastically impact a race. Last weekend’s Twin Cities Marathon and 10 Mile in Minnesota was What You Need to Know About the Chicago Marathon because of warm conditions that were considered potentially dangerous to participants. And back in May, the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio, faced criticism after telling runners to “shelter-in-place” during the race after strong thunderstorms rolled in.
Hit These Standards to Qualify for Major Marathons.
CA Notice at Collection DAA Industry Opt Out tool. Just enter the weather conditions, and it will provide you with some suggestions to dress accordingly.
American Men Deliver at the 2023 Chicago Marathon Runner’s World. He is a former all-conference collegiate runner who’s based in Easton, PA. Previously, he worked as the newsletters editor at Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics.
