One of the planet's biggest marathons is set to take place this Sunday, giving its runners the chance to win the prestigious race and fans an opportunity to mourn the passing of a great former champion. Read on and we'll show you how to watch 2024 Chicago Marathon live streams from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for FREE.
The 2024 Chicago Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 13
► Start time — 7:20 a.m. CST local / 8:20 a.m. ET / 5:20 a.m. PT / 1:20 p.m. BST / 11:20 p.m. AEDT
► U.S. — NBC Chicago (FREE STREAM)
► Spain — RTVE (FREE STREAM)
► U.K. — Discovery Plus
► Can/Aus — FloTrack
► Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free
This year's edition of the 47-year-old event is going to be tinged with sadness, but will also be a celebration of the late, great Kelvin Kiptum. Last year he set a remarkable world record of 2:00:35 on this course, but died in a tragic car crash earlier this year. Organizers plan to honor Kiptum on Sunday by offering each runner a memorial sticker that can be added to their bibs.
The elite runners will need to go some to challenge the course records set by Kiptum and Sifan Hassan in 2023, but there's a strong field preparing to do battle on both men's and women's sides.
Kenyans have won the last two men's races, and Amos Kipruto and Vincent Ngetich will both be hoping to make it three from three; Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese is the man most likely to stop them.
In the absence of Hassan, there's a decent chance we'll see the first American female champion for almost two decades with Keira D'Amato, Betsy Saina, Sara Hall and Emma Bates all looking in threatening form.
You'll find a full race day schedule at the bottom of this page. But before that, check out all of the TV and streaming details below to find out how to watch 2024 Chicago Marathon from anywhere — including free streams.
How to watch Chicago Marathon live streams for FREE
The 2024 Chicago Marathon is being live streamed for free on the NBC Chicago website in the U.S. and on RTVE in Spain.
But what if you're usually based in one of those countries but aren't at home for that free Chicago Marathon coverage? Perhaps, you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on a paid streaming service in a foreign country when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home.
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is NordVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple:
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if away from the U.S. but want to watch your usual service, you'd select a U.S.-based server from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to NBC Chicago or another website and watch the 2024 Chicago Marathon live stream.
How to watch Chicago Marathon 2024 live streams in the U.S. for free
Viewers in the U.S. can live stream the 2024 Chicago Marathon for free on the the NBC Chicago website, with coverage running from 8 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. CT / 5 a.m. PT to 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. PT.
NBC is also making the Chicago Marathon stream available on Telemundo Chicago and the stations’ Roku and Apple TV channels.
Subscribers to specialist athletics streamer FloTrack can also watch there.
Remember, if you aren't in the U.S. you can still watch the Chicago Marathon on those streams by using NordVPN.
How to watch 2024 Chicago Marathon live streams in Canada
You'll need access to specialist streamer FloTrack in order to watch Chicago Marathon 2024 live streams north of the border.
Note that prices are in USD. Monthly subscriptions cost $29.99 (around CA$41) and $210 (approx. $290) for a whole year.
How to watch Chicago Marathon 2024 live streams in the U.K.
Live coverage of the 2024 Chicago Marathon be broadcast on Eurosport and Discovery+ in the U.K. Coverage starts at 12:15 p.m. BST.
If you don't already have access to Eurosport as part of your TV plan, then signing up to a Discovery+ Standard plan will let you live stream the race online. A subscription is available for £6.99/month, but you can pay £30.99/month to add TNT Sports to the mix, bringing with it Champions League and Premier League football, plus rugby, WWE, UFC, MotoGP and much more.
If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use NordVPN to watch from abroad.
How to watch Chicago Marathon 2024 live streams in Australia
The 2024 Chicago Marathon is being shown on FloTrack in Australia, where a subscription costs US$29.99 (approximately AU$45) per month or US$210 (around AU$310) for a whole year.
Using one of the best VPN services will help Australians who aren't Down Under tune in to the streaming services they already subscribe to.
Chicago Marathon 2024 start times and schedule
(All times ET)
8:20 a.m. - Wheelchair men
8:21 a.m. - Wheelchair women
8:23 a.m. - Handcycle
8:30 a.m. - Marathon Wave 1
9 a.m. - Marathon Wave 2
9:35 a.m. - Marathon Wave 3
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