Amos Kipruto of Kenya won the 2026 Chicago Marathon in 2:01:09 on Sunday 11 October, finally converting a run of near-misses on the course into victory. Kipruto finished third in Chicago in 2024 and second in 2025, and this time he broke clear of defending champion Jacob Kiplimo after the 30-kilometre mark and was never seen again. Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele took second in 2:02:56, almost two minutes behind the winner, with his compatriot Milkesa Mengesha third in 2:03:46.
Kiplimo, the Ugandan who had arrived as the defending champion and one of the headline names on a deep start list, could not live with the move and ultimately finished fourth in 2:04:18. Boki Diriba of Ethiopia was fifth in 2:05:01. The result marked a significant reversal for Kiplimo, who had been among the favourites in our pre-race look at the elite fields, and it confirmed that Kipruto, who has spent several seasons among the sport’s most consistent marathoners, had timed the decisive surge precisely.
In the women’s race Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia successfully defended her title in 2:13:33, a personal best. Feysa ran stride for stride with Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi until the 40-kilometre mark before opening a gap of 34 seconds over the final 2.2 kilometres to win. Lokedi was second in 2:14:07, and former world record holder Brigid Kosgei, returning to the course, took third in 2:14:55. Mary Ngugi-Cooper (2:17:23) and Joan Kilimo (2:18:39) completed the top five.
Both winning times are the second-fastest recorded on the Chicago course, according to race reports, with only the world record holder’s runs having been quicker. That Chicago’s flat, fast layout can again produce a sub-2:02 performance for the men and a 2:13 for the women underlines its status among the World Marathon Majors as the most reliable venue for outright speed, and the depth behind the winners was considerable.
The leading Americans were Clayton Young and Emma Grace Hurley, who both finished seventh in their respective races. Young clocked 2:05:23, while Hurley, who was making her marathon debut, ran 2:20:47. The attention of the marathon world now turns to New York, where the TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday 1 November with Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto defending their titles.