The Bank of America Chicago Marathon will bring more than 50,000 runners to the streets of Chicago, as well as numerous spectators who will follow the race closely.

The crowd plays a big role in the marathon, which is why organizers have identified the best places for spectators to be to cheer on the runners at every step of Sunday’s race.

Spectators will not be allowed into the race start and finish areas at Grant Park unless they have special entry tickets. Therefore, organizers suggest that friends, family and fans support their runners elsewhere on the course and then meet them in designated areas.

Organizers have set up official “cheer zones” for spectators.

This includes:

COMMUNITY CHEER ZONES

There are community cheer zones throughout the Bank of America Chicago Marathon route, organized by clubs, nonprofits, businesses and neighborhood associations to motivate participants on their 26.2 mile journey through Chicago.

Community cheer zones can be found on the map in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon app, powered by Tata Consultancy Services.

View a list of cheer zones

BANK OF AMERICA SHAMROCK SHUFFLE CHEER ZONE – 8K

The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Cheer Zone is located in Lincoln Park at the 5 mile mark. The Shamrock Shuffle is the unofficial kickoff of Chicago’s outdoor running season and usually takes place as part of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. For more information, visit shamrockshuffle.com.

BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO 13.1 CHEER ZONE – MILE 13.1

This cheer zone marks the halfway point of the route and is also a nod to one of the city’s newest races. The fourth annual Bank of America Chicago 13.1 will take place on June 1, 2025. Visit chicago13point1.com to learn more.

CHARITY BLOCK PARTY – MILE 15

This cheer zone celebrates those who run and raise funds on behalf of local, national and global causes. Spectators, family and friends can cheer on their charity runners at the Charity Block Party held at Adams Street and Loomis Street near Whitney Young High School.

BANK OF AMERICA CHEER ZONES

Join Bank of America in supporting race participants at one of their Cheer Zones on the course, located at mile 13 on N. Wacker in front of the Bank of America Tower and again at mile 26, near the finish line, near Michigan Avenue and on Roosevelt Road. According to organizers, there will be entertainment, cheer items and more. This marks the closest clear viewing area to the finish line.

East-facing viewing area

This paid cheer section marks the section of the course where runners turn onto Columbus Drive for the final leg of the race. Spectators can purchase East Side Viewing Area tickets to gain access to an exclusive viewing area at the finish line.

Track your runner

Those who want to watch can also follow the runners in real time via the marathon’s mobile application.

DESTINATION PARTY

Marathon organizers encourage spectators to find their runners at the 27th Mile Post-Race Party near Grant Park.

These areas will open to spectators starting at 9:30 a.m. and will be accessible near the start line at Columbus Drive and Jackson Drive.

WATCH LIVE

For those who can’t make it into town on the big day, NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will provide full live TV coverage and live streaming of the marathon in English and Spanish.

Live television broadcasts will air from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., and live streaming will be available starting at 7 a.m. on nbcchicago.com and telemundochicago.com, on the NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago apps, and on the networks’ Roku and Apple TV channels until 3 p.m