Chicago Marathon 2026 Preview: Kiplimo Defends, Kosgei Returns and a 2:00:35 Course Record in Sight

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon returns on Sunday 11 October 2026 for its 48th running, and the organisers are calling this one of the deepest elite fields the race has had. Jacob Kiplimo is back to defend his title after a spring in which he ran one of the fastest marathons in history. Hawi Feysa defends the women's title against a former world record holder and a two-time Boston champion. Behind them, more than 55,000 runners are expected to start and finish in Grant Park. Here is what has been confirmed, where the records stand, how to follow the race from the UK, and what everyday runners can take from it.

When is the 2026 Chicago Marathon and what time does it start in the UK?

The race is on Sunday 11 October 2026. It starts and finishes in Grant Park, in the centre of Chicago. On race day Chicago is six hours behind the UK, because UK clocks do not go back until 25 October. That makes it a lunchtime and afternoon watch for anyone following from home.

Start times as published by the organisers. Schedules can change, so check the official race information before race day. Accurate at the time of writing.

Who is in the men's elite field?

Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda is the headline name. He won here last year in 2:02:23, which the organisers describe as the second-fastest performance in the race's history. His 2026 has been even better. In April he finished third at the London Marathon in 2:00:28, behind Sabastian Sawe's world record of 1:59:30 and Yomif Kejelcha's 1:59:41. All three finished inside the previous world record, and the organisers rank Kiplimo's run as the third-fastest marathon ever.

He has been quick over shorter distances too. He opened the year with a third World Cross Country title in a row, then ran 57:20 for the half marathon in Lisbon in March. World Athletics ratified that as a world record in September, although Kejelcha has since run 56:51, a time that was still waiting to be ratified at the time of writing.

His closest rival on paper is Kenya's Amos Kipruto, the 2022 London Marathon champion. Kipruto was third in Chicago in 2024 and second last year, and he finished one place behind Kiplimo in London this spring in a personal best of 2:01:39. Last year's third-placed finisher, Alex Masai, was on the original entry list but has since withdrawn.

There is plenty of depth behind them. Ethiopia's Milkesa Mengesha won the Berlin Marathon in 2024, and his compatriot Tadese Takele has won the Tokyo Marathon two years running. Belgium's Bashir Abdi, the European record holder with 2:03:36, was added to the field in September. The home challenge is led by Charles Hicks, whose 2:04:35 in Boston this spring is the second-fastest marathon ever run by an American according to the organisers, and the 2017 Chicago champion Galen Rupp is also entered.

Could the Chicago course record fall?

This is the real story of the men's race. The Chicago course record is 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. It was the world record until Sawe's run in London this April. Kiplimo's best is now seven seconds quicker than that mark, so the defending champion has already run faster than the Chicago course record, just not in Chicago.

That does not make a record likely. London was a rare day, with three elite runners pushing each other all the way to the line. A fast time in Chicago would need cool, calm weather, steady pacemaking and someone willing to keep the pace honest in the second half. What we can say is that the course has form. The organisers count seven world records set on it.

The women's course record looks much safer. Ruth Chepngetich ran 2:09:56 here in 2024, which is still the world record. The fastest personal best in this year's women's field is 2:14:04, so the women's race is more likely to be about who wins than about the clock.

Who is in the women's elite field?

Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa won last year's race by more than two minutes, in a personal best under 2:15. Her 2026 has been quieter, with a third place at the Tokyo Marathon the highlight. She has said she expects it to be harder to win again this year, and that she hopes to run a personal best but that a place on the podium matters most.

The biggest threat is a familiar one. Kenya's Brigid Kosgei is a two-time Chicago champion, and her 2:14:04 here in 2019 was the world record at the time. This is her first Chicago Marathon since that win, and she arrives in form after winning this year's Tokyo Marathon in a course record of 2:14:29. Kosgei and Feysa are the only two women on the entry list who have run under 2:15.

Then there is Sharon Lokedi. The Kenyan won the New York City Marathon in 2022 and the Boston Marathon in both 2025 and 2026, all on hilly courses. This is her Chicago debut and, according to the organisers, her first race on a flat major marathon course, so nobody quite knows how fast she can go. Ethiopia's Sutume Kebede and Megertu Alemu, who both have strong records in Chicago, complete a very competitive front group.

Personal bests as listed on the organisers' entry list and in race results. Entry lists can change right up to race day. Accurate at the time of writing.

Who is racing in the wheelchair fields?

Switzerland's Marcel Hug is the one to beat in the men's wheelchair race. He is a six-time Chicago champion, has won the last four editions and set the course record here in 2023. His main rival is Daniel Romanchuk of the United States, the only other man to win this race in the past ten years.

The women's wheelchair race is wide open. Defending champion Susannah Scaroni is taking this year off to welcome her first child, according to the organisers. The three other women who have won the title since 2015 are all back: nine-time champion Tatyana McFadden of the United States and the Swiss pair Manuela Schär and Catherine Debrunner, who have each won it twice.

Which British runners are on the entry list?

There is British interest in every race. In the women's elite field, Jess Warner-Judd is listed with a best of 2:24:45 from New York last year, and Amy-Eloise Neale is down to make her marathon debut. In the wheelchair races, the entry list includes David Weir, JohnBoy Smith and Simon Lawson in the men's field, and Eden Rainbow-Cooper in the women's. As always, entry lists can change in race week, so treat these as entries, not confirmed starters.

What is the Chicago course like, and what about the weather?

Chicago is known for being flat and fast. It is a single loop that starts and finishes in Grant Park, passes through 29 neighbourhoods and ends on Columbus Drive, with more than a million spectators along the way according to the organisers. A few details are useful if you are running or supporting someone who is:

• Aid stations: there are 20, roughly one to two miles apart, each with water and sports drink.
• Gels: the organisers hand out gels at two points, around miles 12.4 and 18.1. If you train with a different gel, carry your own.
• Water refill stations: new for 2026, four stations where runners carrying their own bottles or soft flasks can top up.
• Time limit: 6 hours 30 minutes, which works out at about 15 minutes per mile.

The weather is the one thing nobody can confirm this far out. Race day is often cool, and local records reported in Chicago suggest it typically sits somewhere between about 10 and 21°C. It is not guaranteed, though. In 2007 the temperature reached around 31°C and the race was stopped early, and other years have started close to freezing. The organisers use a colour-coded Event Alert System to tell runners about conditions on the day. Check the forecast in race week and be ready to adjust.

How can you watch the Chicago Marathon in the UK?

The organisers list Eurosport among their international broadcast partners. In the UK, Eurosport's coverage now sits under TNT Sports, and TNT Sports has streamed on HBO Max since March 2026, so that is the first place to look. We could not find a confirmed UK channel and time in the listings at the time of writing, so check the TNT Sports schedule in race week.

In the United States, the host broadcaster's coverage begins at 7am Chicago time, which is 1pm in the UK, half an hour before the elite start. Its online stream is aimed at viewers in the US and may not be available here. If you are following a friend or family member, the official race app offers live runner tracking.

What can everyday runners take from Chicago?

You do not need to be chasing 2:00:35 to learn from this race. Whether you are running Chicago, an autumn marathon closer to home or your first half next spring, the same ideas apply.

• Flat is not the same as easy. With no hills to change your stride, you use the same muscles in the same way for the whole race. Regular strength training alongside your running helps your legs cope with that.
• Pace evenly. A flat course and a big crowd make it tempting to start too fast. Aim to run the first half at a pace that feels almost too comfortable. You can always speed up later.
• Practise your fuelling. Find out what your race hands out and where, then try it on long runs, or carry your own. Race day is not the day to try something new.
• Set your goal for the weather you get. Have a plan A for a cool day and a plan B for a warm or windy one. Slowing down on a hot day is sensible, not a failure.
• Watch how the elite runners race. The best marathon runners rarely win it in the first 10 miles. They tend to stay patient and make their move late.

If watching on Sunday makes you want to run Chicago yourself, the timing is good. The organisers say the application window for the 2027 race opens on Thursday 8 October 2026 and stays open for three weeks. More than 200,000 people applied for this year's race, so a place is not guaranteed, but you have to be in the draw to have a chance.

Whatever your next race is, the basics stay the same: build up gradually, mix easy running with some faster work, keep your strength training going and give yourself time to recover. A plan that covers running and strength together makes that much simpler to stick to.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.