The Kenyan will be looking for his third win in Chicago, while Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leads the men’s field.
All eyes will be on Chicago this weekend as the city hosts the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday (October 13) in what promises to be a thrilling showdown of elite athletes.
In the women’s race, Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, a former winner of the 2021 and 2022 Chicago Marathon and the fourth-fastest woman in marathon history, is set to return to the challenging course that winds through 29 boroughs.
The 30-year-old is the fastest woman in this year’s squad after winning the title in 2022, with her fastest time of 2:14:18. At the time, she was 14 seconds short of Brigid Kosgey’s world record of 2:14:04, before Tigist Assefa (2:11:53) and Sifan Hassan (2:13:44) went faster in 2023.
The 2019 world champion secured second place in Chicago last year behind Sifan Hasan.
However, it won’t be an easy run to victory for Chepngetic. Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede, fresh from his Tokyo Marathon victory, arrives with the fastest marathon time of 2024, running 2:15:55 in Tokyo.
Sutume Asefa Kebede Free Mp3 Download:
Kebede had a stellar year, setting a record time of 64:37 at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, the fastest women’s half marathon time ever recorded on US soil.
Chepngetich and Kebede will be joined by Kenyan Joycelyn Jepkosgei, who has previously won titles at the 2019 New York City Marathon and the 2021 London Marathon. Jepkosgei is third in London this year, where he clocked a personal best of 2:16:24.
American athletes Kyra D’Amato (2:19:12) and Betsy Saina (2:19:17) complete the list of athletes. Former American record holder in the marathon, D’Amato returns as a competitor after working as a commentator. Meanwhile, Saina, who had to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon in 2019 due to illness, is coming back to make her mark.
The men’s race will also feature a highly competitive field with Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leading the pack. Legese, who clocked an impressive 2:02:48 at the 2019 Berlin Marathon, is the fastest on paper.
Birhanu Legese wins the 2020 Tokyo Marathon (River)
A two-time Tokyo Marathon champion, this will be his second time running the Chicago course after finishing 10th in 2018 in 2:08:41. Legese recently finished third in the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon.
Legese will face strong competition, particularly from Kenya’s Amos Kipruto and Vincent Ngetich, who both clocked personal bests of 2:03:13.
Cyprus, the bronze medalist of the 2019 World Championships in Doha, won the 2022 London Marathon. Ngetić won a bronze medal in the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, her second marathon in history.
Amos Kipruto (Mark Shearman)
Ethiopia’s David Wald is another contender to watch, having set a personal best of 2:03:48 in the 2023 Valencia Marathon, where he finished third. Wold also secured victory in Prague 2019, further proving his marathon capabilities.
Japan is well represented in this year’s race, with Kyohei Hosoya and Toshiki Sadakata joining the field, holding personal bests of 2:06:35 and 2:07:05 respectively.
The American team includes Zach Penning, with a personal best time of 2:09:28, and Brian Schrader, who ran 2:09:46, adding even more depth to an already stacked race.
While no British athletes feature in the elite men’s or women’s fields, the wheelchair races will see some strong British talent.
Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Getty)
Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who won the Boston Marathon in April, is gearing up for another big performance in Chicago.
On the men’s side, British drivers Johnboy Smith, Simon Lawson and Rob Smith will battle a strong field, including world record holder Marcel Hoog of Switzerland.
The Chicago Marathon will start and finish in Grant Park starting at 7:30 a.m. (12:30 GMT) on Sunday, October 13.
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