A preview of this 12 months’s version, together with which athletes to be careful for and methods to keep up a correspondence with all of the motion.
John Korir is hoping to turn out to be simply the sixth male athlete to defend his Chicago Marathon title this Sunday (October 12) however he won’t have all of it his personal manner in opposition to a powerful subject.
The Kenyan received by virtually two minutes final 12 months in a time of two:02:44, a mark which put him eighth on the marathon all-time checklist.
If Korir does cross the end line tape first once more then he’ll observe within the footsteps of Steve Jones (1984/1985), LuÃz Antônio (1993/1994), Khalid Khannouchi (1999/2000), Evans Rutto (2003/2004) and Samuel Wanjiru (2010/2011).
Not solely is Korir concentrating on victory in Chicago however he needs to turn out to be the second man in historical past to run a sub-2:01 marathon. Solely the late Kelvin Kiptum, who ran his world file of two:00:35 in Chicago two years in the past, has damaged the two:01 barrier over 26.2 miles.
With two victories out of two this season, Korir’s preparation for Chicago could not have been higher. The 28-year-old received the Boston Marathon with 2:04:45 again in April and adopted that up by triumphing over 15km at July’s Boilermaker Highway Race in New York, working 42:44.
Competitors might be fierce in Chicago nonetheless and one athlete to look at might be Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo. Again in April, London Marathon occasion director Hugh Brasher said that Kiplimo was set for “essentially the most fascinating marathon debut ever”, including {that a} first authorized sub-two hour marathon was “not inconceivable”.
Circumstances in London had been hotter than traditional although and Kiplimo battled the warmth to run 2:03:37 for second, putting solely behind Sabastian Sawe within the British capital.
The Ugandan demolished the world half-marathon file with 56:41 in Barcelona eight months in the past however his transfer to the marathon was a step into the unknown. Now he has one below his belt there’s a feeling, with extra conducive circumstances for quick occasions, he can run loads faster.
Kenyan trio Timothy Kiplagat, Amos Kipruto and CyBrian Kotut cannot be discounted both in Chicago. Kiplagat has the second quickest mark within the subject with 2:02:55 and ran that point eventually 12 months’s Tokyo Marathon, the place he completed second to Benson Kipruto.
Like Kiplagat, Amos Kipruto’s finest of two:03:13 was additionally set in Tokyo, with the Kenyan solely putting behind Eliud Kipchoge on the 2022 version. Kipruto additionally received the 2022 London Marathon so he is aware of the sensation of topping the rostrum at a marathon main. Kotut in the meantime has a finest of two:03:22 and positioned third at this 12 months’s Boston Marathon.
American hopes will probably lie with Conner Mantz, who positioned fourth in Boston again in April, ending simply 4 seconds behind Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu – now the world marathon champion – and Kotut.
Mantz’s 2:05:08 on the storied course was the second quickest ever by an American in Boston, solely behind Ryan Corridor’s 2:04:58 from 2011. There is no such thing as a doubt that Mantz might be concentrating on Khannouchi’s 23-year-old US marathon file of two:05:38 in Chicago [Boston is not a record-eligible course, primarily its point-to-point nature and significant net downhill elevation drop].
Britain’s Marc Scott can also be within the subject and can intention to raised his finest of two:11:19, set in London final 12 months. Scott has raced evenly in 2025 and needed to pull out of this 12 months’s London Marathon attributable to a persistent knee damage. He ran 64:05 for seventh at September’s Nice North Run.
Ethiopian duo Megertu Alemu and Hawi Feysa are probably favourites for the ladies’s title however there might simply be a shock winner in Chicago.
Alemu has the quickest time within the subject with 2:16:34, a mark she recorded eventually 12 months’s London Marathon. The 27-year-old positioned fourth on that event however did make the rostrum in London three years in the past. She received the Valencia Marathon again in December and is but to compete in 2025.
Her compatriot Feysa boasts a finest of two:17:00 – set at this 12 months’s Tokyo Marathon – and is the second quickest general. Not solely did Feysa make the rostrum in Tokyo – ending behind Sutume Kebede and Winfridah Moraa Moseti – however she additionally received the 2024 Frankfurt Marathon.
Do not depend out Kenya’s Irine Cheptai nonetheless, who has expertise of constructing the rostrum in Chicago. Finally 12 months’s version she ran 2:17:51 for third, ending solely behind Ruth Chepng’etich and Kebede.
Chepng’etich ran a world file of two:09:56 a 12 months go – which was later licensed – however has since been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing optimistic for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
One large unknown earlier than Chicago is how 2023 world 10,000m bronze medallist Ejgayehu Taye will fare in her marathon debut. The Ethiopian arrives in Chicago off the again of a fifth place end over 25 laps on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery was initially chosen for the marathon in Tokyo however, after gaining choice by way of the world rankings, determined to as an alternative compete within the 10,000m. This was all the time probably after Hauger-Thackery signed up for Chicago again in August and she’s going to little doubt hope to raised her finest of two:21:24 from Berlin final 12 months.
Hauger-Thackery presently lies second on the UK all-time marathon rankings behind Paula Radcliffe and is aiming for a sub-2:20 run in Chicago. Philly Bowden was on the entry lists however pulled out this week after an MRI scan revealed she had a fracture within the bone on the within of her proper knee (medial femoral condyle).
These are the complete elite fields for the Chicago Marathon beneath:
Males
John Korir, KEN, 2:02:44 (Chicago, 2024)Timothy Kiplagat, KEN, 2:02:55 (Tokyo, 2024)Amos Kipruto, KEN, 2:03:13 (Tokyo, 2023)CyBrian Kotut, KEN, 2:03:22 (Berlin, 2024)Bashir Abdi, BEL, 2:03:36 (Rotterdam, 2021)Jacob Kiplimo, UGA, 2:03:37 (London, 2025)Philemon Kiplimo, KEN, 2:04:01 (Hamburg, 2025)Geoffrey Kamworwor, KEN, 2:04:23 (London, 2023)Huseydin Mohamed Esa, ETH, 2:04:39 (Chicago, 2024)Conner Mantz, USA, 2:05:08 (Boston, 2025)Daniel Ebenyo, KEN, 2:06:04 (Chicago, 2024)Galen Rupp, USA, 2:06:07 (Prague, 2018)Hiroto Inoue, JPN, 2:06:14 (Tokyo, 2025)Zouhair Talbi, MAR, 2:06:39 (Houston, 2024)Matt Richtman, USA, 2:07:56 (Los Angeles, 2025)Ryan Ford, USA, 2:08:00 (Boston, 2025)Rory Linkletter, CAN, 2:08:01 (Seville, 2024)CJ Albertson, USA, 2:08:17 (Chicago, 2024)Hideyuki Tanaka, JPN, 2:09:27 (Tokyo, 2025)Patricio Castillo, MEX, 2:10:40 (Seville, 2023)Marc Scott, GBR, 2:11:19 (London, 2024)Colin Mickow, USA, 2:11:22 (Chandler, 2020)Kevin Salvano, USA, 2:11:26 (Chicago, 2023)Nick Hauger, USA, 2:11:55 (Sacramento, 2024)Robert Miranda, USA, 2:12:07 (Sacramento, 2024)Afewerki Zeru, USA, 2:18:54 (Porto, 2023)Casey Clinger, USA, DebutTai Dinger, USA, Debut
Ladies
Megertu Alemu, ETH, 2:16:34 (London, 2024)Hawi Feysa, ETH, 2:17:00 (Tokyo, 2025)Irine Cheptai, KEN, 2:17:51 (Chicago, 2024)Bedatu Hirpa, ETH, 2:18:27 (Dubai, 2025)Haven Hailu Desse, ETH, 2:19:17 (London, 2025)Mary Ngugi-Cooper, KEN, 2:20:22 (London, 2022)Calli Hauger-Thackery, GBR, 2:21:24 (Berlin, 2024)Lindsay Flanagan, USA, 2:23:31 (Chicago, 2024)Natosha Rogers, USA, 2:23:51 (Nagoya, 2025)Florencia Borelli, ARG, 2:24:18 (Seville, 2024)Gabi Rooker, USA, 2:24:29 (Chicago, 2024)Dakotah Popehn, USA, 2:24:40 (Chicago, 2023)Melody Julien, FRA, 2:25:01 (Valencia, 2023)Aubrey Frentheway, USA, 2:27:14 (Duluth, 2025)Maggie Montoya, USA, 2:27:50 (Rotterdam, 2025)Loice Chemnung, KEN, DebutEjgayehu Taye, ETH, DebutEmily Venters, USA, Debut
