On October 12th, I took to the streets of Chicago alongside 58,000 fellow runners to tackle the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, my seventh marathon and first World Major. With a flat, fast course that has played host to both the men’s and women’s marathon World Records, this year’s race made headlines thanks to Conner Mantz, who ran 2:04:43 to break the American marathon record. For the rest of us mortals and especially those who started in later waves, the warm sunny conditions made personal breakthroughs harder to come by, but I nevertheless managed to shave just over two minutes off my PB from Valencia 2024.

What’s the Chicago Marathon like?

My race – new PB 2:42:36

While I missed my A goal of sub 2:40, I did hit my B goal of sub 2:43, achieving a 2 minute 9 second PB (improving on last year’s 2:44:45 at Valencia). I paced well, but suffered (as many runners did this year) from a late race fade, with the temperature warming up into the 60’s and the sun beating down without shade for several kilometers. I managed to average 100g of carbs per hour, which was also a PB – the best I’ve ever fueled a marathon. Nevertheless, my legs just wouldn’t sustain sub 3:50 pace after 35k and the steady climb over the last 3 miles chipped away at what had otherwise been a very steady, consistent average pace. Though a much better result, this was consistent with my experience at Rotterdam and gives me a clear durability and strength focus in my training over the next year.

Comparing Chicago and Valencia

So far, Chicago and Valencia are my two favorite marathons, and they’re rightly both at the top of many marathoner’s minds when they’re eying fast races where they can improve their PBs. Here’s how I’d compare them in terms of key characteristics that influence race selection.

1. Which course is faster? Valencia. Both courses are flat circuit routes; both have a good number of turns. Officially, Chicago has 74m of elevation gain compared to Valencia’s 67m (my watch had them at 78m and 59m, respectively), so measurement-wise there is not much difference but there is a noticeable difference running the two courses. There are a handful of little uphills in Chicago (mostly related to bridges) including the notorious “Mount Roosevelt” 400m from the finish. Notably, the Chicago course finishes uphill for the last 3.5k – my watch had it rising from 198m elevation at 39k to 212m at 42.3k. Most of that is up Mount Roosevelt, but there is a steady gentle climb up Michigan Ave before it that slows many runners down in the final kilometers. Valencia, by contrast, is downhill for the last 7km, with the most noticeable downhill coming 400m before the finish…it’s like the opposite of Mount Roosevelt, giving runners a head of steam coming into the memorable finishing stretch.
2. Which field is faster? Valencia, slightly (but this might change in 2026 with the introduction of the lottery). Over 5000 of the 35,000 runners in Valencia in 2024 ran under 3 hours. In Chicago 2025, just over 4000 of the 58,000 runners ran under 3 hours. Both races bring an impressive elite field each year. And in both races, runners of virtually every pace will find others to run with.
3. Which race is more likely to have favorable weather? Valencia has a clear edge. Chicago is unpredictable in October. Race conditions can be perfect, they can be hot (it was 85F one week before the race), they can be windy (it is the ‘Windy City’ after all), they can be cold and rainy and wet (as it was one week after the race), there can be air pollution. Fortunately, the Chicago race starts at 7:30am, early enough to mitigate the impact of the heat on warm days like we had this year (at least for runners in the first wave). Valencia starts a bit later at 8:15am since it’s only starting to get light, but early December in southern Spain brings consistently excellent running weather, with cool temperatures, little wind, and no rain. While both races tend to have good weather, if you took the average over 100 weather simulations for mid-Oct Chicago and early-Dec Valencia, Chicago would average 7/10 racing conditions and Valencia would average 8.5/10 racing conditions. This is backed up by racecast.io.

4. Which race is more scenic? Valencia, but they’re both great. Both races are effectively beautiful architecture tours on foot. The Chicago skyline is epic and runners get race photos with the Sears Tower in the background and other iconic Chicago landmarks. But Valencia’s start and finish are unforgettable at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, and the race takes runners past centuries-old landmarks around the city. It’s an epic blend of old and new.

5. Which race has better crowds? Chicago, but they’re both great. Racing Valencia in 2023 was the first time I experienced a Tour-de-France-like crowd cheering me on, which is something that Rotterdam and Chicago both bring as well. The Valencia crowds sort of crescendo throughout the race, whereas Chicago’s crowds are pretty strong throughout with the exception of a relatively quiet patch from about 32k to 37k.
6. Which race has better on-course refreshments? Chicago. Chicago has twenty aid stations with water and Gatorade, three Maurten Fuel Depots with CAF100 and M100 gels, and bananas from 30k onwards. Valencia has nine aid stations and (as of 2025) three points where they hand out Enervit gels. Runners really do not need twenty aid stations – Valencia’s nine are plenty. But having them more frequently gives runners more flexibility on gel timing if they’re using gels that require water (like Gu or PowerGel).
7. Which race is better value? Valencia (unless you live in Chicago). Entry fees for Valencia have historically depended on when you signed up, ranging from €80 to €180. This year there will be a lottery, so it’s not clear what that will mean for entry fees. For Chicago, entry is $250 for Americans and $260 for international residents. One might expect Valencia to take a similar approach to segment the cost for locals and internationals, given that €120 is a lot for Spanish residents but a bargain for brits or Americans looking for a fast, world class marathon. Lodging, food, and car rental in Valencia are ~2x cheaper than Chicago. Valencia also provides runners with a city transport pass. Many Americans have an outdated view that ‘Europe is expensive’, but in reality cost of living (and even more so cost of visiting if you’re eating out) has climbed significantly in large American cities.

I really enjoyed the Chicago Marathon – it’s an incredibly well run race and a beautiful course with great support vibes and PB potential. That said, if I was deciding between whether to go back to Chicago or Valencia again, I’d hands-down go with the Ciudad del Running. Maybe I’ll see you there in 2026?