The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications along with other city departments, agencies and Bank of America Chicago 13.1 organizers are reminding the public about the upcoming half marathon on Chicago’s West Side on Sunday, June 4 beginning at 7 a.m. Thousands of runners are expected to take part in this unique racing experience through the historic parks and boulevards of Chicago’s West Side. For details, visit chicago13point1.com 

NEW THIS YEAR! Saturday Wellness Events 

Two new wellness-based events on Saturday, June 3 in collaboration with West Side residents include a Wellness Walk and a free track and field clinic presented in partnership with USA Track & Field (USATF). The 1.31-mile Wellness Walk is a family friendly activity that takes participants on a tour of the south side of Garfield Park. The Wellness Walk is open to individuals 6 years of age or older. Following the Wellness Walk, children between the ages of 7 and 14 can take part in USA Track & Field’s free RunJumpThrow clinic. The clinic will feature a selection of learning stations including dynamic warm-up, running form and technique, standing broad jump, softball throw, and one-legged hop. 

Street Closures and No Park Zones 

BOA Half Marathon Street Closures 

BOA Half Marathon No Park Zones in English and Spanish 

The 13.1-mile course will start and finish in Garfield Park, the oldest park on the West Side, and travel through Humboldt and Douglass Parks while traversing the neighborhoods that line the boulevards connecting all three parks. For complete details on street closures, visit  

No Parking Zones along the course will be enforced beginning at 1 a.m. on Sunday, June 4. Street closures along the route will occur between 6:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. City streets will re-open promptly as the final runners pass through (at a 15-minute mile pace). As runners pass points along the route, streets will reopen to allow traffic to return to normal as quickly as possible. Residents and spectators should not attempt to block the racecourse at any time. 

Race Day Parking 

Parking is limited near the start and finish lines in Garfield Park. A shuttle service and parking will be available for free at the Halsted/Taylor Parking Structure (760 W. Taylor Street), located on the campus of University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Shuttle service to and from Garfield Park will operate every 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The first shuttle is anticipated to leave the UIC parking lot around 5:15 a.m., and the final shuttle will leave Garfield Park at 12:30 p.m. Shuttles will drop off and pick up participants on the south side of Garfield Park at Madison Street and St. Louis Avenue outside of Gate 3. For full information and site maps, visit chicago13point1.com. 

Public Transportation / Ride Share 

As always, public transportation is encouraged if heading to the Chicago 13.1 Half Marathon or other destinations in the impacted areas. For more information on CTA services and reroutes, visit TransitChicago.com or call 836-7000 from any area code/1-888-YOUR-CTA. Rideshare drop-offs and and pick-ups can be made on Homan Ave. and Maypole Ave. 

If You See Something, Say Something 

OEMC wants to remind the public to be aware of their surroundings report suspicious activity. If you notice something suspicious, notify onsite security or call 9-1-1. If You See Something, Say Something™ is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities. 

Chicago OEMC App  

For safety and preparedness at your fingertips this Summer, residents and visitors are encouraged to download the new Chicago OEMC App. The public safety tool provides safety information, preparedness tips, emergency alerts, CHI Safe Walk, weather information and more in the palm of your hand. Users will also have access to current events and forecasts, radar, and other weather-related information as well. The app is now available through the Apple App and Google Play stores. To immediately download, click HERE or visit the website Chicago.gov/OEMC.  

Emergency, Traffic and Weather Notifications 

OEMC will continue to monitor the event in collaboration with public safety partners and the Chicago Police Department will enforce race day restrictions along the route as well as facilitate traffic. OEMC will issue any alerts and notifications needed to keep residents and attendees up to date on weather conditions and emergencies. Sign up for NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org. OEMC also issues TEXT alerts for lakefront notices, issues affecting businesses or COVID-19 updates: 

• CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, TEXT “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5 
• CHIBIZ: For alerts affecting businesses, TEXT “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3 

For additional information on emergency preparedness information, visit the OEMC website at Chicago.gov/OEMC. Follow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Facebook (@coemc), Twitter (@ChicagoOEMC) and Instagram (chicago_oemc_911).