Chicago Marathon 2011: Route, Date, Start Time and TV Info

The 2011 Chicago Marathon is nearing, as endurance athletes prepare to run further than I like to drive in one day. That grueling distance is 26.2 miles.

This marathon is a flat and fast course. This allows runners to put up fast times and gives them a shot at personal bests.

The list of participants is expected to include runners from all 50 states and over 100 countries.

The first Chicago Marathon was held in 1977. There were just 4,200 runners in that race. This year entries are expected to exceed 45,000.

Info and facts are available via the official event website chicagomarathon.com. 

Sammy Wanjiru won the men's event in 2010 with a time of 2:06:24. Liliya Shobukhova captured the women's title with a time of 2:20:25.

When: Sunday, October 9. Wheelchair competitors will start at 6:20 a.m. EST; runners will start at 7:30 a.m. EST.

TV Info: The marathon can be seen live on Chicago's NBC affiliate. You can also stream the event live on nbcchicago.com.

Route: The marathon starts in Grant Park at Columbus Dr. and Monroe Dr. and concludes as runners loop back heading north on Columbus Dr. to finish where they started at Grant Park. 

View the course map here.