Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.runnersworld.com
Among the 53,000 people set to run the 2026 Chicago Marathon, there will be a handful of recognizable faces. This year, retired professional athletes, actors, and local legends, many of whom are also fundraising for charity organizations, are scheduled to race 26.2 miles through the Windy City. Here is the complete list of notable runners you’ll see in Chicago on Sunday.
Anthony Rizzo
Ten years after helping the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series, Anthony Rizzo will return to Chicago to make his marathon debut. On Instagram, the three-time All-Star first baseman said he was inspired to run 26.2 after watching his wife, Emily, run the New York City Marathon. This weekend, Rizzo will be running for the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, the nonprofit he created to support families of pediatric cancer patients after surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 18.
Jake Arrieta
Rizzo’s former Cubs teammate Jake Arrieta will be joining him on Sunday. The retired pitcher is also fundraising as part of Team Rizzo while sharing his training buildup on Instagram. In August, Rizzo wrote that he’s running Chicago in “pursuit of personal improvement,” and to support the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. “Help us continue to make the lives of children dealing with pediatric cancers, and their families better. We appreciate your support,” he wrote in one of his posts.
Kel Mitchell
The Good Burger star is returning to his hometown for 26.2 miles in his second marathon. The former Nickelodeon actor often shares his fitness routine, which includes a lot of hybrid workouts, on Instagram. In March, he completed his first 26.2 at the Los Angeles Marathon, which he finished in six hours and 16 minutes. On Sunday, Mitchell will run while fundraising for World Vision.
Des Linden
Just three weeks before she races the Javelina Jundred, a 100-mile trail race, Des Linden is tuning up at the World Marathon Major this weekend. This won’t even be her first hefty season of racing this year. In April, the two-time Olympian finished the Boston Marathon in 2:36:24 just a week after an incredible third-place finish in the women’s field at the Marathon de Sables—a 168-mile self-supported race over six stages across the Moroccan Sahara Desert.
Kirsten Ferguson
The Peloton instructor is competing in the Chicago Marathon and shared much of her buildup throughout the summer and fall on Instagram. Similar to her famous motivational talks in class, Ferguson is inspiring the community online by sharing her personal journey to Chicago.
Jacob Nur
The 71-year-old world age-group record-holder is out for redemption in Chicago. Last year, a hamstring injury forced the runner from Elk Grove, California, to withdraw from the 2025 race. This weekend, he’ll be targeting the world marathon record for his age group (2:54:18 set by Korean runner Heingchul Shin). He’s already claimed age-group victories at the 2021 London Marathon, 2022 Boston Marathon, and 2023 Berlin Marathon since beginning his running career at the age of 53.
Joabe Barbosa
A few months after becoming the first person to run every street in Chicago, Joabe Barbosa will celebrate by racing his adopted hometown marathon. In June, he completed the city challenge in less than two years, covering more than 4,000 miles and 77 neighborhoods. On Sunday, he’ll revisit 26.2 of those miles as a charity partner for My Block, My Hood, My City—a nonprofit empowering Chicagoans to invest in and strengthen their communities.
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For the past decade, Taylor has reported on sports, health, and wellness for leading fitness publications including Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, and Outside. She’s also a podcast host and film producer focused on amplifying the stories of women and other underrepresented communities in endurance sports. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her running—or eating breakfast tacos with her family in Austin, Texas.
