Amos Kipruto sets personal best

Amos Kipruto of Kenya set a personal best time of 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds to win the 2026 Chicago Marathon, a race held in the city known as the "Windy City." This marked his fifth marathon victory over the 42.195-kilometer distance.

Race dynamics and group efforts

The men's race began with defending champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda taking an early lead. A group of six runners, including Kipruto, Daniel Mateiko, and Ethiopian athletes Tadese Bikila, Boki Diriba, and Milkesa Mengesha, formed around him and maintained a pace close to 2 hours 1 minute throughout the race.

Kipruto overtakes Kiplimo

As the race progressed, Jacob Kiplimo attempted to create distance at the 25th kilometer. Only Kipruto was able to keep up, and by the 35th kilometer, the Kenyan took the lead and maintained it to the finish line.

Kipruto’s historic performance

Kipruto’s time of 2 hours 1 minute 9 seconds not only broke his previous personal best by 30 seconds but also placed him among the top five fastest marathon runners of all time, tying with the legendary Eliud Kipchoge. Jacob Kiplimo finished fourth, while Ethiopian runners Tadese Bikila and Milkesa Mengesha took fifth and sixth places, respectively.

Hawi Feysa dominates women’s race

In the women’s race, Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia secured her second consecutive victory at the Chicago Marathon, repeating her success from the previous year. She had previously won the Frankfurt Marathon in 2024 and finished third in Tokyo in the same year.

Final stretch sees Feysa prevail

The women’s race became a battle between Feysa and reigning champion Brigid Kosgei, with Sharon Lokedi briefly joining the front group. However, Feysa managed to overtake Lokedi in the final stretch and finished with a time of 2 hours 13 minutes 32 seconds, nearly a minute and a half faster than her personal best set the previous year.