Amos Kipruto wins Chicago Marathon in 2:01:09 as Hawi Feysa defends women’s title

Amos Kipruto of Kenya won the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2:01:09 on Sunday, a personal best that places him equal fifth on the all-time list. Defending champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, who led early and held the world’s third-fastest marathon time, finished fourth in 2:04:18. Ethiopia’s Tadese Bikila was second in 2:02:56 and Milkesa Mengesha third in 2:03:46.

Kipruto, third in Chicago in 2024 and second in 2025, broke clear of Kiplimo between 30 and 35 kilometres and ran the final stretch alone. He said afterwards he had been ready. Clayton Young of the United States was the top American in seventh place with 2:05:23, the second-fastest time by an American on a record-eligible course. He ran with a torn hamstring.

In the women’s race Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia defended her title in 2:13:33, also a personal best and the fourth-fastest women’s marathon in history. She and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya ran together through much of the final six miles before Feysa pulled away in the last mile. Lokedi finished second in 2:14:07 and Brigid Kosgei third in 2:14:55. Feysa said she became confident around the 35-kilometre mark.

Emma Grace Hurley of the United States ran the fastest marathon debut by an American woman, finishing seventh in 2:20:47. The previous mark was Fiona O’Keeffe’s 2:22:10 at the 2024 Olympic Trials. Temperatures rose from about 17 °C at the start to over 24 °C later in the day. Organisers issued a yellow alert, yet the leading times remained near world-record pace.

The men’s course record of 2:00:35 set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023 and the women’s record of 2:09:56 by Ruth Chepngetich in 2024 both stood. Kipruto’s winning margin was nearly two minutes. Kiplimo had been on projected course-record pace at 15 kilometres before fading.

Both winners move up the all-time lists. Feysa improved her personal best by 84 seconds. The results confirm Chicago’s status as one of the fastest courses in the World Marathon Majors series and give Kipruto his first Chicago title after two near-misses. The American performances by Young and Hurley mark the strongest single-day showing by US runners at the race in recent years.