Did you get into Chicago?
Thousands of runners are asking the same thing today as the Chicago Marathon sends out its 2026 lottery results. Acceptance emails began rolling out Thursday morning, and they’ll keep coming in waves throughout the day.
More than 200,000 people applied for a spot this year.
Time qualifiers, legacy finishers, Distance Series runners, and 2025 deferrals were already confirmed, but the general lottery accounts for the bulk of applicants.
But many runners won’t actually have to wait for the official message. Usually a credit card charge or a status change in their marathon account often shows up before the email does.
Don’t worry, though; missing out on the lottery doesn’t close the door entirely.
Charity entries and tour-operator spots remain available, though they tend to disappear quickly. Charity runners commit to raising at least $2,200, a program that continues to become central to the event’s identity.
The 2025 Chicago Marathon generated a record $47.1 million for charity, up $11 million from the previous year and pushing total fundraising since 2002 past $405 million.
Organizers expect about a third of the 2026 field to race on behalf of a charity team. Anyone hoping to enter through that route will need to move quickly, though, because many groups fill their rosters soon after the lottery results go out.
Lottery notifications will continue landing throughout the day. Runners will know soon enough whether their path to Grant Park starts now or whether they’ll need to consider one of the remaining entry options.
