Amos Kipruto claims Chicago Marathon title in style

Amos Kipruto of Kenya secured his first victory at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, outpacing a world-class field with a time of 2:01:09, marking his personal best. This triumph vindicated Kipruto, who had previously finished second in Chicago in 2023 and third in 2022. Kipruto's dominant performance came after a grueling year, with his best placing being third in London in 2024.

He explained, "Today's race was really good for me... I came here 2024, I became position three, 2025 I became position two. And now 2026 it was either win or die for me."

Kipruto's performance was fueled by a strong preparation, crediting his improvement during the lead-up to the London Marathon. He emphasized, "The preparation for me toward the Chicago Marathon 2026 was perfect for me. I improved a lot in training for the previous London Marathon, but I said let's go (for) Chicago and let be what will be. Everything is all about a mindset. It was a tough field, but I set my mind and I said let's go."

Defending champion Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia defended her women's title with a personal best time of 2:13:33, further solidifying her dominance. Her victory was followed by Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, who finished 34 seconds behind. Brigid Kosgei of Kenya placed third, continuing her impressive form across multiple marathons. A total of more than 55,000 runners took part in the 26.2-mile course through Chicago's streets, with Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland also making a mark by setting a new women's wheelchair world record with a time of 1:33:16.