Kipruto Wins Chicago Marathon in 2:01:09 as Feysa Defends Title

Kenya's Amos Kipruto won the 48th Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday in a personal-best 2:01:09. Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa defended her women's title in a personal-best 2:13:33. Both times rank among the fastest ever on the Chicago course and move the winners higher on the world all-time lists.

Kipruto, third in Chicago in 2024 and second in 2025, broke away from defending champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda between 30 and 35 kilometres. Kiplimo faded to fourth in 2:04:18. Ethiopia's Tadese Takele Bikila finished second in 2:02:56 and Milkesa Mengesha third in 2:03:46. Kipruto's margin over Bikila was 1 minute 47 seconds. The time equals the fifth-fastest marathon in history and is the second-fastest winning time in Chicago history, behind only Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 world record from 2023.

Feysa and Kenya's Sharon Lokedi ran together deep into the race. Feysa pulled clear in the final mile to win by 34 seconds. Lokedi finished second in 2:14:07 and former champion Brigid Kosgei third in 2:14:55. Feysa said through a translator that she became confident of the win around the 35-kilometre mark. Her time improves her personal best by more than a minute and places her fourth on the all-time list.

American Clayton Young was the top US man in seventh at 2:05:23, the second-fastest time by an American on a record-eligible course. Emma Grace Hurley, making her marathon debut, was the top American woman in seventh at 2:20:47, the fastest debut by a US woman. Australian Isobel Batt-Doyle set a national record in sixth at 2:20:38.

Conditions were warm. The start temperature was about 17°C and rose above 24°C later in the day. Organisers issued a yellow alert, yet the leading men and women still ran near world-record pace for much of the race. Kipruto told reporters after the finish that he was ready and that the race was a fight for the podium.

Kipruto had won the London Marathon in 2022. His Chicago victory adds a second major title and improves on his previous best of 2:01:39. Kiplimo, the 2025 champion and one of the fastest men in history, could not repeat. The women's race featured a direct contest between the defending champion and a two-time Boston winner; Feysa's late surge decided it.

The full elite fields produced multiple personal bests and national records. US men occupied several places in the top ten, including Charles Hicks in eighth and Vincent Mauri in tenth. The results confirm Chicago's status as one of the fastest marathon courses in the world when conditions allow. Official splits and further analysis of pacing will appear in the race's full timing data.

Both winners improved their personal bests on a day when the temperature climbed. The 2:01:09 and 2:13:33 marks place the performances among the elite of the modern marathon era. Chicago's next edition will be measured against these times.