The Chicago Marathon (Bank of America Chicago Marathon), held on Sunday, October 11, 2026, once again featured a strong Serbian presence. The 48th edition of the race, one of eight World Marathon Majors and among the most prestigious marathons in the world, included 35 Serbian runners. Of those, 23 traveled from Serbia.
As in previous years, supporters gathered at the Serbian Cheer Station, organized as part of the Belgrade Marathon booth at 744 N. Wells Street in downtown Chicago. Members of the local Serbian community came together to encourage runners from their homeland, as well as other participants in the race.
Among the visitors was Dr. Marko Nikolić, consul general of the Republic of Serbia in Chicago. He joined representatives of the Belgrade Marathon and community members in showing support for Serbian runners and the rest of the field.
Darko Habuš, director of the Belgrade Marathon, discussed the relationship between the two events in an exclusive interview with Chicago na dlanu. He described cooperation with the Chicago Marathon as excellent and said both sides intend to strengthen that relationship further in the years ahead.
Srđan Ćirić, deputy director of the Tourist Organization of Belgrade, emphasized the economic importance of major sporting events. According to Ćirić, the marathon generates significant revenue by attracting large numbers of visitors from around the world to the Serbian capital over just a few days.
Belgrade Marathon representatives also told our news outlet that they plan to continue organizing gatherings at the same Chicago location in the coming years. The events will welcome people who want to support runners arriving from Serbia, as well as those who already live in or were born in the United States.
Two Runners, a Song, and a Dance Along the Course
Several days before the marathon, Serbian runners, Belgrade Marathon representatives, and members of the diaspora gathered at Ambar restaurant. During the get-together, two women participating in the marathon made a special request of DJ Boom: they wanted him to play a particular song as they passed the Serbian Cheer Station.
He honored their request. When the two runners reached the station, they stopped briefly to dance to the music before continuing the race.
Photo and Video: Milan Brašanac
Watch the atmosphere at the Serbian Cheer Station.
