Chicago Marathon Coverage Begins at 6:30 a.m. Sunday on NBC 5, Telemundo
The 2026 Chicago Marathon coverage starts at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, with live race coverage beginning at 7 a.m. CT. NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago will broadcast the…
For viewers following runners from home, the key question is what time does the Chicago Marathon start on screen. NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago begin coverage at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, with live race coverage starting at 7 a.m. CT.
The 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon steps off in Grant Park on Oct. 11, and both stations will carry the race live. Their websites and mobile apps will also stream coverage, giving spectators a way to follow the 26.2-mile course without standing along it.
NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago plan eight straight hours of live coverage in English and Spanish. The broadcast will use more than 35 ground and drone cameras positioned along the course, with over 180 on-air and behind-the-scenes staffers supporting the coverage.
That reach matters for friends and family tracking runners across Chicago. Viewers can watch from home, while people at the course can follow the stream and cheer along the route.
What time does the Chicago Marathon start on TV?
The schedule begins at 6:30 a.m. Sunday with a special production about the marathon. Extensive live coverage follows at 7 a.m. CT, according to NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago.
Both stations will carry the race. NBC Chicago’s website and mobile app will stream it, as will TelemundoChicago.com and the Telemundo Chicago app for Spanish-language coverage.
NBC 5’s stream is also available through its 24/7 streaming channel, NBC 5 Chicago News. The source lists Peacock, Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, Google TV, TCL, Xfinity and FreeVee among the platforms carrying that channel.
Viewers can also watch through NBC Chicago’s YouTube channel. The station says the coverage will be available in the video player on its page.
One detail for families waiting near the finish: after the elite field finishes, an exclusive finish-line camera will stream on NBCChicago.com and the NBC 5 Chicago News Streaming Channel from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will show runners crossing the finish line on Columbus Drive.
Where to watch runners along the course
Spectators who want to cheer in person can use designated spots along the route. The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Cheer Zone is at the 8K mark in Lincoln Park, while the Bank of America Chicago 13.1 Cheer Zone is at mile 13.1, the halfway point on Chicago’s West Side.
A block party for participants fundraising for a chosen charity is planned at Adams and Loomis Streets near Whitney Young High School. Bank of America also hosts cheer zones at mile 13 on North Wacker in front of the Bank of America Tower, and near the finish at mile 26 by Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road.
The race passes through 29 Chicago neighborhoods, some of which organize their own celebrations. The source describes a block-party atmosphere around Northalsted near miles 7 and 9, and mariachi bands supporting runners around mile 19 in Pilsen.
People watching in person can use the finish-line stream while cheering along the route, and race results will be posted as they are entered. Coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
Source: nbcchicago.com
