CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, October 11 — Defending champion Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia (2:13:33) and Kenyan veteran Amos Kipruto (2:01:09) won fast-paced and hard-fought titles in the 48th running of the Chicago Marathon.
Both runners survived a blistering opening 30K and somewhat warm and humid weather to close out convincing wins and career best clockings.
The 27-year-old Feysa’s 1:24 improvement over her winning time last year moves her up to No. 4 on the all-time performers list with the No. 5 performance.
“It was a big surprise,” Feysa said. “We came here last year and ran a personal best, and I come back with another personal best and win. It’s all a big surprise in many ways.”
Kenyans Sharon Lokedi (2:14:07) and Brigid Kosgei (2:14:55) filled out the women’s podium with Isobel Batt-Doyle running an Australian NR to finish 6th in 2:20:38.
In 7th, Emma Grace Hurley chalked up a U.S. debut best of 2:20:47, good for No. 6 on both American lists. (Full report on Hurley’s race coming soon.)
If Kipruto’s 2:01:09 clocking sounds familiar, it ties him with Eliud Kipchoge’s 2022 WR effort that now sits fifth on the all-time performer and performance lists. It was Kipruto’s second WMM title, lest we forget he won London in ’22.
Ethiopians Tadese Takele (2:02:56) and Milkesa Mengesha (2:03:46) finished 2nd and 3rd, with Jacob Kiplimo 4th in 2:04:18. (Takele is listed in some statistical sources as Tadese Bikila.)
Clayton Young led a strong U.S. showing (fuller report coming soon). The BYU grad ’24 Olympian finished 7th in 2:05:23, followed by Charles Hicks in 8th at 2:05:35. The duo now sit 2-3 on the U.S. ATL. Treadmill phenom Vincent Mauri finished 10th in 2:06:45, and Galen Rupp ran a U.S. Masters best to finish 11th in 2:06:55.
“The plan worked well for me,’ Kipruto acknowledged. “I was ready to go. This was my third time running in Chicago, in 2024 position 3, in 2025 position 2. Today in 2026 we needed to fight for the win and I was ready.”
For Kipruto, the real battle began when defending Chicago champ Kiplimo threw down a brutal surge just past halfway.
As if the opening half of 60:21 with evenly paced 5K segments of 14:18, 14:19, 14:19 and 14:17 didn’t set them up for fast running, Kiplimo moved up to gallop between the pacers and seemed fully intent on bettering his 2:00:28 clocking for 3rd in London last April.
A kilometer later, the reigning World Cross champion revved up his regal stride and surged past the pacers with only Takele and Kipruto giving chase.
Stringing together sub-2:50 Ks, the trio tore through a 14:06 5K segment to cross 25K in 1:11:19. That’s 2:00:22 pace. Kiplimo continued to hammer, dropping Takele in the 27th K and forging a 10m lead on Kipruto as he zipped through the 25–30 5K segment in 14:09. His 1:25:28 split at 30K dropped him to 2:00:13 pace.
Problem was Kipruto rallied to catch the Ugandan in the 28th K, and as the duo ran together through 33K the pace slowed amid the accumulated effects of sun and humidity.
Of dealing with Kiplimo’s surge, Kipruto said, “I think nothing can faze you when you are ready, you just adjust yourself to the pace which is good for you. And today, I was really monitoring and thinking about which pace I go for myself, because I was competing against my PB, which I ran in London.”
Just as this skirmish between two heavyweights took shape, it was all too apparent that Kiplimo had punched himself out. Kipruto prevailed with his ability to take a pace-punch and stay on his feet at 2:55K pace. He cruised home to finish his second 2:01 clocking in 6 months.
A senior member of coach Claudio Berardelli’s 2 Running team, Amos has benefited from training and racing with sub-2 man Sabastian Sawe. “Since I ran 2:01:39 in London, that gave me a lot of morale. Running is all about the mindset, and when the mindset is ready to go, the body will go.”
Berardelli concurs, “That 2:01:39 in London gave Amos a different self-awareness, self-confidence. In his last three races he had a completely different approach. Last year in Chicago they went out in 60:16, and then London in 60:29. So, Amos started Chicago with a different type of confidence knowing that Kiplimo asked for a 60:15 pace. It was I can go with that and we’ll see.”
Kipruto was more than ready for the seeing part “The marathon begins at 30 kilometers. So you prepare your mind to keep on going and I [tried] my best to resist the pace which we started from.”
To defend her woman’s title, Feysa contended with a pair of Kenyan champions. First she matched strides with the fast-starting 2-time Chicago champion and former World Record holder Brigid Kosgei, then she fended off a late race challenge from New York and back-to-back Boston champion Sharon Lokedi.
Kosgei and Feysa got off to a scorching start zipping through the opening 15K in 46:41 — 2:11:19 pace. As the tempo slowed heading back into the Loop, Lokedi and Loice Chemnung caught the lead duo and a not-so-tidy group of 4 racers and 4 pacers crossed halfway in 66:06.
They stayed together until the 27th K when Lokedi leaned into the pace and Feysa’s lone remaining pacer. They dropped Chemnung then Kosgei and crossed 30K in 1:34:16 — 2:12:35 pace.
At 31K the pacer stepped off — and Feysa later admitted, “It was an interesting back and forth there, then I went to the front because I was trying to control the race.”
The two ran together until just past 40K when Lokedi surged ahead to a 10-meter lead. No panic from Feysa, she just smoothed out her stride then caught and ran away from Lokedi with a 4:59 closing mile.
“It was a very hard-fought battle. Around 35K. I was pretty confident I was going to win despite the challenges. When Sharon went ahead I did have a moment where I was thinking to myself, ‘How am I going to win this thing?’ But at that point, I just turned all of that consciousness off and sort of went forward and realized like I had it again.
As for her new PR, she said, “I personally felt like it was pretty windy out there, and also my pacemaker didn’t make it as far as he was supposed to. So, I think there’s certainly a sub-[2:13] in the future.”
Notably, Feysa’s teammates on coach Gemedu Dedefo’s talented women’s squad include Fotyen Tesfay (2:10:51 PR, No. 2 all-time), and history’s third-fastest, Tigst Assefa (2:11:04).
CHICAGO MEN’S RESULTS
1. Amos Kipruto (Ken) 2:01:09 (=5, =5 W);
2. Tadese Takele (Eth) 2:02:56; 3. Milkesa Mengesha (Eth) 2:03:46; 4. Jacob Kiplimo (Uga) 2:04:18; 5. Boki Diriba (Eth) 2:05:01; 6. Daniel Mateiko (Ken) 2:05:01;
7. Clayton Young (US) 2:05:23 (2, 2 A);
8. Charles Hicks (US) 2:05:35 (3, 3 A);
9. Akira Akasaki (Jpn) 2:05:47; 10. Vincent Mauri (US) 2:06:45 (x, 12 A);
11. Galen Rupp (US) 2:06:55 (US Masters record—old 2:10:02 Elkanah Kibet [Asics] ’24);
12. Yemane Haileselassie (Eri) 2:07:03; 13. CJ Albertson (US) 2:07:19; 14. Suguru Osako (Jpn) 2:07:34; 15. Kieran Tuntivate (Tha) 2:08:01; 16. Jorge Cruz (Mex) 2:08:13; 17. Thomas Nobbs (Can) 2:08:35; 18. Tsegay Weldlibanos (Eri) 2:09:18; 19. Shuaib Aljabaly (US) 2:10:04; 20. Asrar Hiyrden Abderehman (Eth) 2:10:09.
CHICAGO WOMEN’S RESULTS
1. Hawi Feysa (Eth) 2:13:33 (4, 5 W);
2. Sharon Lokedi (Ken) 2:14:07 (8, 9 W);
3. Brigid Kosgei (Ken) 2:14:55; 4. Mary Ngugi-Cooper (Ken) 2:17:23; 5. Joan Jepkosgei (Ken) 2:18:39; 6. Isobel Batt-Doyle (Aus) 2:20:38;
7. Emma Grace Hurley (US) 2:20:47 (6, 6 A) (U.S. debut record);
8. Degitu Azimeraw (Eth) 2:20:59; 9. Magdalyne Masai (Ken) 2:21:11; 10. Loice Chemnung (Ken) 2:21:18; 11. Yuka Akasaki (Jpn) 2:23:18;
12. Dakotah Popehn (US) 2:24:00; 13. Elena Hayday (US) 2:24:57; 14. Natosha Rogers (US) 2:27:22; 15. Amanda Mosborg (US) 2:29:30; 16. Jessica Warner-Judd (GB) 2:30:07; 17. Laura Galvan (Mex) 2:31:58; 18. Sara Hall (US) 2:32:35; 19. Alexandra Aldana (Col) 2:36:23; 20. Desiree Linden (US) 3:10:10.
