Chicago Marathon 2017: Security Concerns, Open Streets And Best Ways To Watch The Race

CHICAGO, IL — More than 40,000 runners are expected to gather Sunday to race for the 40th running of the Chicago Marathon, despite new security concerns in the wake of the Las Vegas mass shooting this past weekend. The marathon begins and ends on Columbus Drive near Grant Park and winds through 29 city neighborhoods. The 26.2-mile route runs to Addison Street in the north, Damen Avenue in the west and 35th Street in the south.

Chicago police plan to have a large presence of undercover officers working the event, which is expected to attract about a million racers and spectators, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Thursday. The additional measures come after reports surfaced that room reservations were made at the Blackstone Hotel under the name of Stephen Paddock — the gunman responsible for killing 59 people during a mass shooting at a Las Vegas country music festival this past Sunday — during Lollapalooza this year. The hotel, which said police had not determined if the Paddock who made the reservation was the Las Vegas shooter, overlooks Grant Park, the site of the four-day music festival.

"CPD will have heavy undercover presence at this Chicago Marathon. Well over 1,000 additional officers have been added to our deployment," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in an online statement Thursday. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

RELATED: CPD Ramping Up Chicago Marathon Security After Las Vegas Attack

The new security procedures shouldn't affect the running of the marathon. Patch gives you everything you need to know before you go.

Race Packets And Start Times

Runners will be able to pick up marathon packets from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Abbott Health & Fitness Expo at McCormick Place.

Marathon start times are staggered in the morning. Here's when the different groups of runners will begin:

• 7:20 a.m.: Wheelchair start
• 7:21 a.m.: Handcycle start
• 7:23 a.m. Athletes with disabilities start
• 7:30 a.m. Wave 1 start
• 8 a.m. Wave 2 start
• 8:35 a.m. Wave 3 start

TV, Radio, Live Streaming And Results

Live coverage of the marathon will run from 7 to 11 a.m. on NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV), Telemundo Chicago (WSNS-TV) and 670 the Score (WSCR-AM). A live stream of the marathon also will run from 7 to 3 p.m. on the websites for NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago.

Results will be posted on the Chicago Marathon's website.

Cheer Zones And Afterparty

Spectators will be able to cheer along runners at mile 13 near West Monroe and South Jefferson streets, and at mile 26 near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue. A post-race party will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Grant Park's Butler Field.

Parking And Street

Enforcement of no-parking zones will start at 1 a.m. Sunday. Street closings along the route will run between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with roads around Grant Park closed longer. Police will reopen city streets as soon as the final runners finish.

The following roads will remain open during the marathon:

Major Roads

• Lake Shore Drive
• Inner Lake Shore Drive, from Diversey Parkway to Belmont Avenue. LSD access will be open at Belmont
• Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94), but the southbound exit ramp to 31st Street will be closed
• Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94), but the entrance and exit ramps at Adam Street will be closed
• Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), but the west exit ramp to Damen Ave will be closed
• Stevenson Expressway (I-55)

The Loop (Wells, Van Buren and Lake streets and Wabash Avenue)

All streets will be open by 9 a.m.

North Of The Loop

• Michigan Avenue, north of 8th Street, including Magnificent Mile access.
• Clybourn Avenue
• Lincoln Avenue, north of Sedgwick Street
• Clark Street, north of Diversey Parkway

West Of The Loop

• Milwaukee Avenue
• Halsted Street, north of Adams Street
• Ashland Avenue, north of Adams Street
• Damen Avenue, north of Adams Street

South Of The Loop

• Damen Avenue, south of Van Buren Street
• Ashland Avenue, south of 18th Street
• Archer Avenue, west of Halsted Street
• Halsted Street, south of Archer Avenue
• Michigan Avenue, south of 35th Street
• Martin Luther King Drive

Metra And CTA

Metra will operate extra early morning inbound and early afternoon outbound trains on five of its lines for the Chicago Marathon. The BNSF, Metra Electric, Milwaukee District North and Union Pacific Northwest and West lines will have additional service, while all other lines will operate on a regular Sunday schedule. Passengers can go to Metra's website for a complete marathon schedule.

CTA also will off extra rail service for the marathon for the Red, Blue, Brown, Orange, Green and Purple lines. Because of the heavier crowds expected on trains, bicycles will not be allowed on trains from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in order to accommodate more passengers. Got to CTA's website for a complete marathon schedule.

The 2016 Chicago Marathon. (Photo by Nam Y. Huh | Associated Press)

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