For 16 July 2017 Chicago Half-Marathon, you can easily get to St. James from 29th and State. Lake Shore Drive will be closed from the river to 31st, so best to use I-90/I-94. If you are east of Michigan and north of 31st, take King Drive north from 25th to 24th Place west (sort of getting on and off I-55 very briefly), and then down State Street. A map is here:
16July2017HalfMarathonMap
July
Sunday
16