Impact of Chicago Marathon felt from now to Sunday event

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News/ AP) — The Chicago Marathon is still two days away, but you are going to have some trouble getting around starting Friday!

The impact of the Chicago Marathon will be increasingly felt from now until the big event Sunday.

More than 40,000 runners are registered to participate. And more than a million spectators are expected to line the 26.2-mile route that'll wind through 29 neighborhoods.

Race organizers say a few street and lane closures are already in effect around Grant Park, where the marathon begins and ends. They encourage drivers to consider alternate routes as race day approaches and on the day itself.

Balbo is closed from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management. Jackson is also closed from Columbus to Lake Shore Drive. Starting Thursday, Columbus will be closed from Roosevelt to Monroe.

By Saturday, Columbus, Balbo, Congress, Jackson and Monroe will all be closed, with most streets in Grant Park reopening by Monday morning. Street closures along the race route will begin about 7 a.m. Sunday and most will be reopened by 4:30 p.m.

The race begins in two waves, one at 7:30 a.m. and one at 8 a.m., in Grant Park, with runners racing on a course that goes as far north as Addison, as far west as Damen, and as far south as 35th Street, encompassing 29 neighborhoods along the way, OEMC said.

Parking restrictions will be in effect along the course beginning early Sunday morning. Vehicles will be towed and “no parking zones” will be strictly enforced, according to OEMC. If your vehicle is towed, call 311.

Security has been tightened at marathons nationwide since the 2013 Boston Marathon explosions that killed three and injured more than 260.

Security measures for Chicago on Sunday include the deployment of uniformed and plainclothes police. Officers will also conduct random checks of spectators carrying large bags.