Run for the Zoo - Lincoln Park
About this race
For more than four decades, runners of all levels and abilities have been raising money to support Lincoln Park Zoo with Run for the Zoo, now in its 48th year! The race route is suitable for all experience levels and features a flat, scenic route that winds in and around the zoo, allowing for beautiful views of Chicago’s skyline, Lake Michigan, protected natural areas, and zoo habitats.
All participants receive:
- Tech-blend shirt with 2026 animal theme
- Special edition finisher medal
- Digital swag bag
- Access to the post-race party
- (Wildlife Warriors only) Bonus piece of merch with 2026 animal theme
- (Kids’ Course participants only) Kids’ Course T-shirt and medal
- (Volunteers only) Crew T-shirt with 2026 animal theme
It costs $108,000 a day to fund Lincoln Park Zoo operations—everything from state-of-the-art animal care and global conservation work to interactive learning programs and groundbreaking scientific research. More than 80% of that operating cost is funded by memberships, donations, guest visits, and events like Run for the Zoo. Your participation helps keep Lincoln Park Zoo free and open to all, 365 days a year!
Pick your distance
Running
10K Run
5K Run
Wildlife Warrior (5K + 10K)
Complete both the 5K & 10K! Must be able to complete in under a 10:00 minute per mile pace.
Wildlife Warrior (5K + 10K) Virtual
You may submit your run times online until (x date and time).
10K Virtual
You may submit your run times online until (x date and time).
5K Virtual
You may submit your run times online until (x date and time).
Walking
5K Walk (Untimed)
Typical race-day weather
Based on 6 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Chicago, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 5:18 AM and sets at 8:18 PM local time (CDT) in Chicago on May 31, 2026 — 15h 00m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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2026 results — Run for the Zoo - Lincoln Park
48 finishers across 3 distances · leading places in the Wildlife Warrior (5K + 10K) Virtual
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aminta Vazquez | 52:04 | — |
| 2 | Christopher Banas | 1:31:18 | — |
| 3 | Abbie Roth | 1:39:12 | — |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Chicago
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
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Jingle Bell Run - Chicago, IL
Chicago Fall Classic Half Marathon, 10K & Hot Cider Hustle 5K
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Chicago
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Chicago 5K Races 134 races
- 10K Run Events in Chicago 61 races
- Chicago Half Marathons 50 races
- Marathons in Chicago 4 races
- Chicago Running Calendar 2026 147 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 150 Chicago events
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