As one of the quickest of the six world majors, the Chicago Marathon is fertile ground for breaking records, and the Kenyan duo of reigning champion Ruth Chepngetich and Kelvin Kiptum have their sights set on making history at the 45th edition of the race. Will either of them pull it off?
Read on and we'll show you how to watch the Chicago Marathon from anywhere with a VPN, and very likely for FREE.
The 2023 Chicago Marathon takes place on Sunday (Oct. 8).
► Time — 8:20 a.m. ET / 7:20 a.m. CT / 5:20 a.m. PT / 1:20 p.m. BST / 10:20 p.m. AEST
► U.S. — NBC Chicago 24/7 (FREE STREAM)
► Spain — RTVE (FREE STREAM)
► U.K. — Discovery Plus
► Australia — FloTrack
► Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
A year ago, Chepngetich came agonizingly close to breaking the world record of 2:14:04 set by fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei in 2019. She missed out by a mere 14 seconds as she clinched her second successive Chicago Marathon title. The twist in the tale, however, comes off the back of recent events in Berlin, where Tigist Assefa smashed that WR by more than two minutes.
And you can also expect Chicago Marathon rookie Sifan Hassan to be near the front, having won in London on her marathon debut. Of the home favorites, US marathon runner Emily Sisson finished second last year with a national record 2:18:29 and will be looking to better that this time around.
Meanwhile, reigning men's champion Benson Kipruto will be keeping Kiptum at close quarters. Kipruto's time of 2:04:49 last year was the fourth fastest in the event’s history, but Kiptum came within 16 seconds of the world record when he triumphed in the British capital earlier this year.
With 45,000 competitors set to pound the streets and bridges of Chi-Town, here's how to watch a 2023 Chicago Marathon live stream online from anywhere.
FREE Chicago Marathon live streams
The 2023 Chicago Marathon is being live streamed for free on the NBC Chicago 24/7 website in the U.S. and on RTVE in Spain.
But what if you're based in one of those countries but aren't at home to catch that free Chicago Marathon coverage? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch the race for free at home?
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.
Chicago Marathon live streams around the world
It's only natural that you might want to watch a Chicago Marathon live stream from your home country, but what if you're not there during the event?
Look no further than a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.
They're totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favorite right now is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.K. and want to view coverage from Spain, you'd select Spain from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to RTVE or another website and watch the 2023 Chicago Marathon live stream.
Chicago Marathon 2023 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
How to watch Chicago Marathon live streams in the U.S.
As mentioned above, viewers in the U.S. can live stream the 2023 Chicago Marathon for free on the the NBC Chicago 24/7 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 Chicago 24/7 is available to stream via Roku, Samsung TV Plus and Xumo too.
The race is also being televised on NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, and NBC Sports Chicago.
If you already use those services but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can live stream the Chicago Marathon by using a good VPN. And if, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money-back guarantee with ExpressVPN.
How to watch Chicago Marathon live streams in the U.K.
Discovery Plus is live streaming the 2023 Chicago Marathon in the U.K., with coverage getting underway at 1:15 p.m. BST on Sunday afternoon.
A subscription is available for £6.99 per month or £39.99 per year, but you can pay £29.99 per month to add TNT Sports to the mix, bringing with it Champions League and Premier League football.
If you're not in the U.K. right now, you can still follow the Chicago Marathon live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch Chicago Marathon live streams in Australia
The 2023 Chicago Marathon is being shown on FloTrack in Australia, where a subscription costs US$29.99 (approximately AU$47) per month or US$210 (around AU$325) per year.
Away from your Australia home right now? You can simply use a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, to watch the race as if you were back in Oz.
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