Chicago Marathon to crown new champions

New champions are expected to be crowned during this years’ edition of Chicago Marathon which goes down later today in the United States of America which starts at 3.30pm local time.

Sunday’s race, which did not take place last year due to Covid-19 pandemic, is the third in this season’s Abott World Marathon Majors series after Berlin Marathon (held on September 26) and London Marathon (October 3).

In the 2019 edition of Chicago Marathon, Brigid Kosgei of Kenya won the women’s race in a new world record of 2 hours,14 minutes and 04 seconds (mixed gender).

Britain’s Paula Radcliffe had held the record since 2005. Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono timed 2:05:45 to win men’s race ahead of Ethiopians Dejene Debela (2:05:46) and Asefa Mengstu (2:05:48).

This year, both Cherono and Kosgei will not be in   Chicago. That leaves Kenya’s Reuben Kipyego and Ruth Chepngetich as the favourites in the 43rd edition of the race.

Sara Hall, chasing a 15-year-old American women’s marathon record, and Galen Rupp, the 2017 Chicago champion, lead US hopes over the 26.2-mile layout, with warm conditions expected.

Kipyego has the top men’s entry time of 2:03:55 from a runner-up finish at Milan in May. He went 2:04:12 at Valencia last December and won in 2019 at Abu Dhabi in 2:04:40.

Four other entrants have run below 2:05:00, including Kenya’s Dickson Chumba, the 2015 Chicago winner and Tokyo Marathon champion in 2014 and 2018; Ethiopian Seifu Tura, the 2018 Shanghai and Milan winner who ran 2:04:29 to finish fourth at Milan in May; Ethiopia’s Chalu Deso, who went 2:04:53 to finish sixth at Valencia last December; and Japan’s Kengo Suzuki, who went 2:04:56 to win at Otsu, Japan, in February.

In the women’s race, the fourth fastest athlete in the distance, Chepng’etich returns to competition after dropping out of the marathon race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in August.

Chepng’etich clocked 2:17:08 in the 2017 Abu Dhabi Marathon, and went on to break the world half marathon record of 64:02 in victory at the 2021 Istanbul Half Marathon in April.

She will team up with Abu Dhabi Marathon champion Vivian Kiplagat from Kapsait Athletics Training Camp. Speaking in Eldoret early this week, Kiplagat said she was happy to get a chance to compete in a major marathon, having been idle for more than a year without competing.

“It’s been difficult time for athletes, and I’m extremely happy to be competing. My target is to run well after good preparations. The field looks competitive but like everybody else, I will be doing my best and see if I can be on the podium,” said Kiplagat.

Kiplagat stormed to victory in 2019 Abu Dhabi Marathon in a new personal best of 2:21:11.