Jacob Kiplimo returns to defend his Bank of America Chicago Marathon title on Sunday 11 October, with the Ugandan arriving after another impressive season which includes a 2:00:28 marathon in London.
The women’s race promises an equally compelling contest as defending champion Hawi Feysa (ETH) takes on two-time Chicago winner Brigid Kosgei (KEN) and Boston champion Sharon Lokedi (KEN).
Chicago is the penultimate race in the seven-event Abbott World Marathon Majors calendar, following Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney and Berlin, with only New York on 1 November still to come.
More than 55,000 participants are expected for the 48th running, with its famously fast course providing another opportunity for the world’s leading runners to chase exceptional times.
Here’s everything you need to know about the start times, live coverage, course and leading contenders.
Start time and how to watch live
The Chicago Marathon takes place on Sunday 11 October, with the elite men and women starting together at 7:30am local time (CDT) – that’s 1:30pm in the UK (BST).
That is 8:30am on the US East Coast, 5:30am on the Pacific Coast and 2:30pm in Central Europe (CEST).
The men’s wheelchair race starts at 7:20am local time (1:20pm UK), with the women following one minute later.
In the United States, the race will be streamed on Peacock and Roku.
For international viewers, organisers list Eurosport, Eurosport India, ESPN Brazil, ESPN Latin America, FloSports, the Olympic Channel, SMG China and TV Asahi among their broadcast partners.
The official Chicago Marathon app also offers runner tracking, leaderboards and results.
The Chicago Marathon course
The 42.195km course starts and finishes in Grant Park, taking runners through 29 Chicago neighbourhoods on a tour of the city.
Its largely flat layout has made Chicago a favourite for fast times, although a short climb late in the race provides a final test before the finish.
Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 in 2023 remains the men’s course record. Kiplimo went second on Chicago’s all-time list when he won in 2:02:23 last year – and has since run faster than Kiptum’s Chicago mark on the streets of London.
Elite men – Kiplimo returns with confidence
Jacob Kiplimo’s 2025 Chicago victory came in just his second marathon, and he has yet to finish outside the top three in his three appearances over the distance.
He began 2026 with a third consecutive World Cross Country title, followed by a world half marathon record of 57:20 in Lisbon. Then came his third-place finish in London in 2:00:28.
Returning to a course he already knows, the defending champion has made his ambitions clear.
“Winning Chicago was a special moment, but defending the title means even more,” he says.
Kenya’s Amos Kipruto is a leading challenger. The 2022 London champion has finished third and second in the last two editions of Chicago and improved his personal best to 2:01:39 when finishing fourth in this year’s historic London race.
Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha, the 2024 Berlin winner, and back-to-back Tokyo champion Tadese Takele Bikila add further strength, alongside Daniel Mateiko and Asrar Hiyrden.
Belgium’s two-time Olympic marathon medallist Bashir Abdi is a significant late addition, with Norway’s Sondre Moen also joining the field. Alex Masai, third in Chicago last year, has withdrawn.
Charles Hicks heads a strong American contingent after running 2:04:35 at Boston this spring – the second-fastest marathon ever by an American, although Boston’s course is ineligible for record purposes. Chicago offers a record-eligible stage for the 25-year-old. He’s joined by Clayton Young, 2017 Chicago winner Galen Rupp and Vincent Mauri, who won this year’s Toledo Marathon in 2:05:54.
Elite women – Feysa faces Kosgei and Lokedi
Hawi Feysa won last year’s women’s race in 2:14:57, finishing more than two minutes clear of her rivals.
The Ethiopian returns after another third-place finish in Tokyo, but faces formidable opposition as she seeks back-to-back Chicago titles.
“I believe it will be even more difficult this year to repeat, but I am preparing very well and am confident I will arrive at the start line in good form,” she said.
Brigid Kosgei brings both course pedigree and winning form. The Kenyan won in Chicago in 2018 and 2019, setting a then-world record of 2:14:04 on her second victory, and returns for the first time since then.
Her Tokyo victory this March came in 2:14:29, the second-fastest marathon of her career, with Feysa third in 2:17:39 — adding a recent head-to-head encounter to their Chicago rematch.
Sharon Lokedi offers another major storyline. The 2022 New York winner shattered Boston’s course record with 2:17:22 in 2025, then retained her title this April in 2:18:51. Her Chicago debut will be her first appearance on a flat Marathon Major course, offering an intriguing opportunity to translate that success into an even quicker time.
Ethiopians Sutume Kebede and Megertu Alemu are further contenders, while the American contingent includes Sara Hall, Susanna Sullivan, Natosha Rogers and Olympian Dakotah Popehn.
Emma Grace Hurley makes her marathon debut after setting an American 8K record at the Shamrock Shuffle in March. Des Linden is also scheduled to race as she prepares for a 100-mile debut later this autumn.
Wheelchair races – Hug chases seventh title
Marcel Hug will bid for a seventh Chicago victory and a fifth in succession in the men’s wheelchair race.
The Swiss star faces three-time winner Daniel Romanchuk, with Aaron Pike and Britain’s David Weir also returning.
Defending women’s champion Susannah Scaroni is absent as she prepares to welcome her first child, but the field includes nine-time winner Tatyana McFadden and fellow former champions Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schär.
Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper is also among the main contenders.
