Chicago River Marathon

Racing through the heart of Chicago, the Chicago River Marathon and Half-Marathon is a regatta that will challenge the toughest of adventure racing rowers.

Both the Half-Marathon and Full Marathon start and end near the Park 571 boathouse in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. Crews race north through the Loop and then east to the Chicago Locks, where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan. After crews turn at the Locks buoy and head west, the two courses diverge at Wolf Point. Here, the half marathon competitors turn south, toward port, to return to Bridgeport. The full marathon competitors make a starboard turn and head north to just past Argyle Street in the Albany Park Neighborhood, where they will turn at the Falls buoy and head south back to the finish line in Bridgeport.

Competitors in both events Rowers will race through Chicago’s famed downtown and will pass iconic and architecturally significant buildings like the Willis Tower, Civic Opera House, Merchandise Mart, The Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, and Aqua Tower. The marathon course covers the dynamic range of Chicago’s neighborhoods, surveying the changing landscape from industrial to natural prairie land. The course also leads rowers past six boathouses and  under every single one of the city’s historic moveable bridges, of which Chicago has the most of any city in the world!

The Chicago River Marathon & Half Marathon is held annually the first Sunday after Labor Day.  Please direct all inquiries to marathon@lpboatclub.org.