Kipruto Breaks Through in Chicago as Feysa Defends Her Title

Kenya's Amos Kipruto won the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 11, running a personal best of 2:01:09 one year after finishing second in the same race. Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa took the women's title for the second year in a row in 2:13:33. Organizers reported the largest field of entrants ever assembled for the race, with more than 55,000 runners expected on the start line. ---------------------------------------------------------

Morning temperatures above 60 degrees and high humidity made for less than ideal conditions, but the elite fields still delivered fast times.

The men's race

A lead group of six went through 10 kilometers in 28:37 and reached halfway in 1:00:21, with Ethiopia's Tadese Bikila one second behind. Kipruto and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo were level at 20 miles, separated by a single second at 1:31:51 and 1:31:52. Shortly after, Kipruto surged. By 35 kilometers, reached in 1:39:58, he had a 12 second lead over Kiplimo, and he kept extending it to the finish.

Kipruto passed 25 miles in 1:55:13 and crossed the line 1:47 ahead of Bikila, who moved into second in 2:02:56. Ethiopia's Milkesa Mengesha climbed from fifth place at 35 kilometers to take third in 2:03:46. Kiplimo faded to fourth in 2:04:18.

On the American side, Clayton Young finished seventh in 2:05:23, the second fastest time ever run by an American on a record eligible course. Charles Hicks was eighth in 2:05:35. Vincent Mauri attacked early on American record pace, but cramps ended his challenge and he finished tenth in 2:06:46.

The women's race

Feysa won in 2:13:33, a personal best, 34 seconds ahead of Kenya's Sharon Lokedi (2:14:07), after a late duel between the two. Brigid Kosgei of Kenya took third in

2:14:55. Emma Grace Hurley of the United States finished seventh in 2:20:47, an American record for a marathon debut.

Wheelchair and non-binary divisions

Switzerland swept the top of the wheelchair races. Marcel Hug won the men's race in 1:21:34, nearly nine minutes clear of the field, and Catherine Debrunner won the women's race in 1:33:16. In the non-binary division, Winters Parts of the United States won in 2:28:16.

Full results: men (top 20)

\| 15 | Kieran Tuntivate | Thailand | 2:08:01 | \| 16 | Jorge Cruz | Mexico | 2:08:13 | \| 17 | Thomas Nobbs | Canada | 2:08:35 | \| 18 | Tsegay Weldlibanos | Eritrea | 2:09:18 | \| 19 | Shuaib Aljabaly | USA | 2:10:04 | \| 20 | Asrar Hiyrden Abderehman | Ethiopia | 2:10:09 |

Full results: women (top 20)

\| 17 | Laura Galvan | Mexico | 2:31:58 | \| 18 | Claire Sumner | Canada | 2:32:21 | \| 19 | Sara Hall | USA | 2:32:35 | \| 20 | Maria Lindberg | USA | 2:34:18 |

Full results: men's wheelchair (top 10)

\| 4 | Hannah Dederick | USA | 1:47:12 | \| 5 | Vanessa Cristina De Souza | Brazil | 1:47:14 | \| 6 | Patricia Eachus | Switzerland | 1:47:15 | \| 7 | Hoda Elshorbagy | Egypt | 1:47:59 | \| 8 | Jenna Ayers | USA | 1:54:02 | \| 9 | Rachel Cleaver | USA | 2:15:10 | \| 10 | Eva Houston | USA | 2:20:54 |

Full results: non-binary division (top 5)