Chicago Triathlon (Supertri)
Chicago, United States · August · Super League (Supertri)
Course: 0.8 km (0.5 mi) swim, 24 km (14.9 mi) bike, 5 km (3.1 mi) run. 750 m (0.47 mi) / 24 km (14.9 mi) / 5 km (3.1 mi), start 8:00 a.m. on Sunday; individual or relay
Why people love it
- Rolling swim start in sheltered Monroe Harbor, 1.5 km (0.93 mi), with the skyline beside the seawall.
- Fully closed Lake Shore Drive bike, flat with only short ramps and bridges.
- Finish in Grant Park after a lakefront run past the museum campus.
- First-timers program plus a 750 m (0.47 mi) sprint with a 24 km (14.9 mi) bike.
- Downtown base: hotels, trains and two airports within 16 to 27 km (10 to 17 mi).
Watch out for
- The swim was cancelled for waves up to 1.8 m (6 ft) in 2019 and 2023, replaced by a run.
- Run from swim exit to T1 is about 0.8 km (0.5 mi).
- Lower Wacker tunnel is dim and potholed, and there are no aid stations on the bike.
- Little shade on the run; late August highs reach 27 to 33 °C (80 to 92 °F).
- Over 8,500 athletes in 2024: crowded transitions and a narrow gravel run path in places.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 30% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.9
Large, well-covered downtown race with positive reports from 2015 to 2024. Swims were cancelled in 2019 and 2023, and a kids' race review was poor. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
No problems reported in 2022 or 2024, and a 2015 racer praised packet pickup and bike check-in. The 2023 swim cancellation was handled calmly. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly4.2
750 m (0.47 mi) swim, 24 km (14.9 mi) bike, 5 km (3.1 mi) run, and a first-timers program. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.6
Average finish is 2:00:54. The 24 km (14.9 mi) bike is longer than a standard 20 km (12.4 mi) sprint bike. · Medium confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalUsually4.2
USA Triathlon allows wetsuits up to 25.6 °C (78 °F), and the lake is usually 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F). · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.9
Usually 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F), near the comfortable range. Racers in 2015 called the lake cold. · Medium confidence
- Calm waterSome chop3.4
Harbor sits behind a seawall and is usually fine, but waves up to 1.8 m (6 ft) cancelled the swim in 2019 and 2023. · Medium confidence
- Swim easeEasy4.0
750 m (0.47 mi) along the seawall. · Medium confidence
- Swim experienceGreat3.8
Skyline views and crowds along the seawall. No practice swims are allowed, and the run to T1 is 0.8 km (0.5 mi). · Medium confidence
- Swim supportGood3.9
Rolling start, rescue boats and boats to rest on, per a 2015 racer. The harbor is too deep to stand. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed3.2
City pavement on Lake Shore Drive, but the Lower Wacker tunnel is dim and potholed for about 4.8 km (3 mi). · Medium confidence
- Road closuresFully closed4.8
Southbound Lake Shore Drive is closed 5 a.m. to noon, plus Columbus Drive and Wacker. The course is fully closed. · High confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful4.4
Lakefront and skyline on Lake Shore Drive, then the novelty of Lower Wacker and an underground busway. · Medium confidence
- WindSome wind3.4
Lake Shore Drive is open to lake wind while the tunnels are sheltered. A local winner says wind is rarely a big factor. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast4.0
Flat and closed, with busier roads from the sprint field. · Medium confidence
- Bike flatnessMostly flat4.4
Very little gain on 24 km (14.9 mi), though the figure is not published. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts3.4
Mostly straight, with a U-turn, a dim tunnel that needs eye adjustment, and some technical turns and fast descents. · Medium confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportStrong3.8
Busy at the seawall swim, Museum Campus and Grant Park finish. Narrow gravel stretches of the run are quieter. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.9
Aid about every 1.6 km (1 mi) with water and electrolyte drink. A 2015 racer praised the run aid. No aid on the bike. · Medium confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful4.2
Buckingham Fountain, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Soldier Field, finishing under the skyline. · Medium confidence
- Run conditionsModerate3.2
Run starts in mid-morning heat with little shade. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessMostly flat4.4
5 km (3.1 mi) of flat lakefront. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.2
Late August highs of 27 to 33 °C (80 to 92 °F), humid. A lake breeze and early Olympic start help. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Two swim cancellations (2019, 2023) and sudden thunderstorms in past years. · Medium confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.4
Skyline, lakefront and Grant Park. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.2
Swim, transition and finish are all downtown and reachable by transit. The bike course on Lake Shore Drive is hard to watch. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.7
About 181 m (594 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.6
Deep downtown supply, but 8,500 athletes plus summer visitors fill the Loop. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal2.6
Chicago summer and event weekend rates are high. No race-specific price data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.8
Downtown hotels walk to T1 and the Grant Park finish. The swim exit is about 0.8 km (0.5 mi) from T1. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.7
Two major airports within 16 to 27 km (10 to 17 mi), plus Amtrak and the L. · High confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.1
Bike check-in the day before, downtown packet pickup, a 6 a.m. Olympic start and road closures. One area, but spread over several blocks. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.6
Major city with deep dining and plenty to do. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Typical month
- August
- Latest or next date
- 23 August 2026
- Organiser
- Super League (Supertri)
- Field size
- About 8,500 athletes
- Distances (non-standard)
- 0.8 km (0.5 mi) swim, 24 km (14.9 mi) bike, 5 km (3.1 mi) run
- Cutoffs
- Swim 45 min after the last sprint wave enters the water, Bike course closes 11:00 a.m.
- Swim venue
- Monroe Harbor, Lake Michigan (lake)
- Water temperature
- 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
- Wetsuit
- Legal (max 5 mm thick); USA Triathlon rule applies, wetsuit officially allowed and recommended in most years; banned at the 2014 elite WTS race because of hot air
- Swim start
- rolling start in small groups (Olympic); waves
- Swim laps
- 1
- Bike laps
- 1
- Key climbs
- short ramps and bridges only
- Run laps
- 1
- Run shade
- very little
- Air temperature
- 22–33 °C (72–91 °F)
- Humidity
- warm and humid, lake breeze keeps it down
- Altitude
- 181 m (595 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Chicago Midway (MDW) and O'Hare (ORD), 16 km (10 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Loop, South Loop, Streeterville
- Booking
- Downtown hotels, big city so supply is deep but race weekend and summer rates are high. Bike check-in the day before and downtown packet pickup near L stops (2015 review).
What racers and reviewers say
- Fox 32 Chicago race previewRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Local news preview. Reports more than 7,500 athletes the year before, a first-timer education program, and the road closure plan: Lake Shore Drive southbound closed 5 a.m. to noon on Sunday, plus Columbus Drive and Simonds Drive closures for the kids' day.
- ABC7 Chicago race-day reportRaced 2024 · article · Positive
Coverage of the 41st edition with more than 8,500 athletes and 11 Olympians in town. No incidents or race-day problems reported. Organisers called it the biggest event of its kind in North America.
- ABC7 Chicago: swim cancelledRaced 2023 · article · Mixed
The swim was cancelled before 5 a.m. after a beach hazard alert for waves up to 1.8 m (6 ft) and dangerous currents. About 8,000 people took part; athletes ran 1.2 km (0.75 mi) on foot in time-trial waves instead. A run-bike-run also replaced the swim in 2019.
- ABC7 Chicago: Life Time Chicago TriathlonRaced 2022 · article · Positive
Weekend roundup of the Life Time era edition: athletes from 44 states and 14 countries, no incidents reported, and Sunday closures lifted by 4 p.m. Confirms the roughly 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) bike and 10 km (6.2 mi) run shape of the Olympic race.
- CBS Chicago: Thousands run, bike and swim downtownRaced 2015 · article · Mixed
Race-day colour from 7,000 athletes. Competitors found the lake cold but liked that the air was not hot. One rider compared the Lower Wacker and underground busway stretch to a Batman film set, and a first-timer expected to be kicked in the swim.
“the water was really cold”
Show 1 more
- RaceRaves: Chicago Triathlon (super sprint kids reviewer)Raced 2022 · aggregator · Negative
A single very negative review of the kids' super sprint: wrong bibs, no ranking, photos or timing, and no refund. It is about the junior event, not the adult Olympic or sprint, so it is weighted lightly.
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Sources
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