Chicago Marathon 2026: Amos Kipruto Conquers Men's Field as Sharon Lokedi, Brigid Kosgei Complete Podium

Amos Kipruto and Hawi Feysa claimed top honours in the men’s and women’s races, respectively, at the 2026 edition of the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 11.

Amos Kipruto, a former London Marathon champion, crossed the finish line in an impressive personal best time of 02:01:09, with Hawi Feysa also winning the women’s race in 02:13:33.

Kenya's Amos Kipruto set a blistering early pace in the men's race, leading a tight pack of six East African runners through the 5km split in 02:00:41.

Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo closely trailed just one second behind, while a second group led by American Vincent Mauri chased nearly five minutes off the lead pace.

By the 10km mark, Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo edged ahead to take over the top spot, running level with Amos Kipruto as both crossed the timing mat at identical split projections.

Daniel Mateiko remained firmly in contention within the elite lead pack of six, sitting just a fraction of a second off the front-runners.

Meanwhile, the chasing group led by American Vincent Mauri continued to drift further back, trailing the leaders by over four minutes.

Passing the 15km mark, Kenya's Daniel Mateiko climbed into third position, staying right on the heels of leader Jacob Kiplimo and Ethiopia's Milkesa Mengesha in a fast front pack.

Early leader Amos Kipruto slipped to sixth place within the same six-man lead group, though remaining just four seconds off the pace.

At the 21km mark, Amos Kipruto moved back into second place alongside Daniel Mateiko in third, both tracking closely behind leader Jacob Kiplimo in a tight lead battle.

The six-man front group crossed the midway point virtually together, all projecting world-class sub-2:01 finish times as they set up an explosive second half of the race.

Passing the 25km mark, Daniel Mateiko pushed up into second place to pressure leader Jacob Kiplimo, with fellow countryman Amos Kipruto following closely behind in third.

The leading group began to stretch out as the Kenyan pair and their Ugandan rival intensified the pace, leaving competitors like Milkesa Mengesha and Boki Diriba trailing further off the front-runners.

Passing the 30km mark, Amos Kipruto surged back into second place to draw level with leader Jacob Kiplimo, with both men projecting a blistering finish time of 2:00:12.

Daniel Mateiko held firm in third place, trailing the lead duo by 22 seconds as the rest of the chasing group began to fracture behind them.

Passing the 35km mark, Amos Kipruto made a decisive move to break away at the front, opening up a commanding 21-second gap over Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo.

Meanwhile, Daniel Mateiko sat in fourth position, keeping Kenya strongly positioned for the podium as the race headed into its closing miles.

As the men's race reached the 40km mark, Amos Kipruto maintained a commanding lead at the front with a projected finish time of 02:00:58.

Ethiopia's Tadese Bikila moved up into second place, trailing behind Kipruto as the runners entered the final stretch of the race.

Amos Kipruto held on to claim top honours with a brilliant time of 02:01:09. Ethiopia's Tadese Bikila secured second place in 02:02:56, followed by compatriot Milkesa Mengesha in third with a time of 02:03:46.

In the women's race, Kenya's Brigid Kosgei and Joan Chepkosgei Kilimo spearhead a strong seven-woman lead group running neck-and-neck alongside Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa Gejia.

Fellow Kenyans Sharon Lokedi, Brillian Kipkoech, and Loice Chemnung are also right in the mix, giving the country a dominant presence at the front of the field.

As the women reached the 10km mark, Brigid Kosgei continued her aggressive charge at the front, shadowing Hawi Feysa Gejia as the duo opened up a slight gap over the rest of the lead pack.

Further back, Joan Chepkosgei Kilimo, Sharon Lokedi, Brillian Kipkoech, and Loice Chemnung maintained a solid Kenyan core in third through sixth places, staying well within striking distance.

Meanwhile, Sutume Asefa Kebede began to drop off the relentless early pace, falling nearly two minutes behind the lead group.

At the 15km mark, Brigid Kosgei maintained her firm grip on second place, holding close to leader Hawi Feysa Gejia as the pair continued to dictate the pace.

Sharon Lokedi made a strong push into the third spot, leading a chasing group of Kenyan athletes alongside Joan Chepkosgei Kilimo and Loice Chemnung to keep Kenya heavily represented in the top five.

At the half-marathon mark, Kenya's Sharon Lokedi surged to the front to take the lead, heading a formidable pack alongside fellow Kenyan Loice Chemnung in third and former leader Brigid Kosgei in fourth.

With Joan Chepkosgei Kilimo, Brillian Kipkoech, and Mary Ngugi-Cooper also firmly placed in the top seven, Kenyan women firmly established control over the race at the midway stage.

At the 25km mark, Sharon Lokedi stayed level with Hawi Feysa Gejia at the front, while former world record holder Brigid Kosgei moved back up into third spot just two seconds behind.

With Loice Chemnung, Joan Chepkosgei Kilimo, and Brillian Kipkoech rounding out positions two through six, Kenyan runners maintained a commanding stranglehold on the lead group.

At the 30km mark, Kenya's Sharon Lokedi reclaimed top spot, edging ahead of Hawi Feysa Gejia as the race reached its critical final stretch.

Former champion Brigid Kosgei remained firmly in the podium hunt in third position, while Loice Chemnung, Joan Chepkosgei Kilimo, Brillian Kipkoech, and Mary Ngugi-Cooper completed an overwhelming Kenyan presence, occupying six of the top seven spots.

As the women's race reached the 40km mark, Kenya's Sharon Lokedi locked into an intense battle at the front, running neck-and-neck with Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa Gejia. Both athletes shared an identical projected finish time of 02:13:41 as they entered the final stages of the race.

In a dramatic finish to the women's race, Hawi Feysa Gejia broke away in the final stretch to claim victory in 02:13:33. Sharon Lokedi put up a brilliant fight to take second place in 02:14:07, while fellow Kenyan Brigid Jepchirchir Kosgei secured third spot to complete the podium in 02:14:55.