How to Follow Your Runner at the 2026 Chicago Marathon

Friends and family following someone in the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon can use the ChiMarathon app to keep up with their progress on race day. The Chicago event takes place Sunday, Oct. 11, in Grant Park, with race activity beginning around 7 a.m. Thousands of participants are expected, making individual runner tracking a useful tool for supporters watching along the route or from home.

The app is available through Google Play and Apple's App Store. To build a tracking list, search for a registered participant by name and add that person to your favorites. Users can follow as many as 20 runners, allowing a family, group of friends or running-club supporters to keep several participants on one list.

Beyond tracking, the app includes an interactive course map, participant bib information, an event schedule and race photos. Those features give spectators a place to check the route and race-day details while following their runners. The event received a record number of applications this year, according to the race information provided.

NBC Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will also carry live race coverage. English-language viewing options include NBC 5, NBC Chicago's YouTube channel and the NBC 5 Chicago News streaming channel. For supporters who cannot attend in person, the broadcasts provide a way to follow the larger event alongside an individual runner's progress in the app.

The NBC 5 Chicago News streaming channel is available through Peacock, Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity and FreeVee. Spanish-language coverage will be available at TelemundoChicago.com and through the Telemundo Chicago app.

A dedicated finish-line camera will stream from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on NBCChicago.com and the NBC 5 Chicago News streaming channel. That viewing window gives loved ones another opportunity to see their runner complete the race, whether they are watching from home or have been cheering elsewhere along the Chicago course.