The Chicago Marathon’s previous standards for guaranteed entry trailed behind those of the Boston Marathon by five to 10 minutes, whereas their new standards now are five to 10 minutes quicker than Boston’s. Chicago also split the seven former age groups to create 11 new groups spanning over five years, aside from the youngest 18-34 group. As the age increases, so does the time jump. You could be facing a 10-minute jump, 30-minute jump, or no jump at all in your required times since last year, depending on where you land in your category range.
