Chicago Marathon runners from Florida can defer their race because of Hurricane Milton

Runners from Florida have been offered an option to delay their race in the Chicago Marathon until next year because of Hurricane Milton.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has about 1,500 people from Florida registered to run the race Sunday, a marathon spokesperson said.

"We understand that some may choose to defer their participation due to the hurricane, and we’re here to support all runners during this challenging time," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone involved."

Social media posts show a letter from the marathon offering runners the option to defer.

"We're closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and how this very serious storm may impact participants, like you from Florida," the letter read, according to a post on X from Gabrielle Russon. "We understand you may not be able to take part in this year's race as you navigate the unknown challenges ahead and focus on your own safety and well-being."

Russon captioned the letter saying, "My run doesn't matter in the long run. So many people are going to be terribly hurt this week, but it's quite kind of @ChiMarathon to look out for us Florida runners."

Hurricane Milton made landfall overnight near Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota, Florida, as a category 3 storm. It had previously barreled through the Gulf of Mexico as a category 5 storm while officials warned Floridians to evacuate or risk death.