Chicago Marathon 2026 Results: What Happened and What Runners Can Learn

Amos Kipruto of Kenya won the 2026 Chicago Marathon on Sunday 11 October in 2:01:09, and Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa defended her women's title in 2:13:33. In the wheelchair races, Switzerland's Catherine Debrunner set a world record of 1:33:16 and her compatriot Marcel Hug won in a course record of 1:21:34. Those are the headline Chicago Marathon 2026 results, but the day was about more than fast times. It was warm and humid by Chicago's October standards, and the way the leaders handled it holds some useful lessons for anyone training for a marathon. Here is what happened, how the British runners got on and what you can take into your own training.

What happened at the 2026 Chicago Marathon?

This was the 48th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The organisers said more than 54,000 participants made their way through 29 neighbourhoods on the flat loop that starts and finishes in Grant Park. Before the race, a lot of the talk was about the clock. Defending men's champion Jacob Kiplimo had run 2:00:28 in London in April, already quicker than Kelvin Kiptum's course record of 2:00:35, as we covered in our Chicago Marathon 2026 preview.

The weather made that harder. Race reports put the humidity at 82% at the start, and local news reported temperatures reaching the mid-70s Fahrenheit, around 24°C. The elite runners still went out hard, and the result was a day of brave front running, late surges and some big swings in fortune.

How did Amos Kipruto win the men's race?

The men's pack set off on course record pace. Six contenders, including Kipruto and Kiplimo, ran together behind the pacemakers and went through halfway in 1:00:21. Over the next few kilometres the group thinned to four, and then to a straight fight between last year's winner and last year's runner-up. Kiplimo pushed, Kipruto answered, and the two swapped the lead several times.

Kipruto made the decisive move after mile 21, just before 35km. Race reports had him running his 22nd mile in 4:33, which is about 2:50 per kilometre, and that settled it. He crossed the line in 2:01:09, 30 seconds faster than the 2:01:39 he ran for fourth in London in April. The organisers said it was the second-fastest marathon ever run on US soil, behind only Kiptum's course record.

Behind him, Ethiopia's Tadese Bikila came through for second in 2:02:56 and Milkesa Mengesha was third in 2:03:46. Kiplimo, the fastest man in the field on paper, struggled in the final kilometres and finished fourth in 2:04:18. For Kipruto, it completed a set: third in Chicago in 2024, second in 2025 and first in 2026. He told reporters he added more mileage to his training after London, and that he went into the race focused on his mindset.

How did Hawi Feysa defend her women's title?

The women's race started just as aggressively. Feysa and two-time Chicago champion Brigid Kosgei went with the pacemakers and reached 10km in 31:04, a pace the rest of the leading group decided was too hot. Kenya's Sharon Lokedi, a two-time Boston winner running her first flat major marathon, sat a few seconds back and saved her energy. By 20km she had caught the leaders, and a group of four went through halfway in 1:06:06.

Between 25km and 30km, Feysa and Lokedi pulled clear of Kosgei. The two then traded surges for several kilometres, with neither able to break the other. With a mile to go they were still together, but Feysa found one more gear and won by 34 seconds in 2:13:33, a personal best. The organisers said it makes her the fourth-fastest woman in history. Lokedi took second in 2:14:07, a personal best by more than three minutes, and Kosgei was third in 2:14:55. According to the organisers, all three times rank among the five fastest women's performances in the race's history.

Further back, Emma Grace Hurley of the United States ran 2:20:47 on her marathon debut, an American debut record, moving from 13th at 10km to seventh at the finish. Australia's Isobel Batt-Doyle was sixth in 2:20:38, a new Australian record.

Who made the podium in Chicago?

Here are the top three in each of the four elite races.

Times as published by the organisers and in race reports on 11 October 2026. The results were still marked as unofficial at the time of writing. Edge is not affiliated with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

What happened in the wheelchair races?

The wheelchair races were the record-breakers of the day, and the winners said conditions suited them well. Debrunner took an early lead and was never challenged. She was more than four minutes clear at halfway and won by almost nine minutes, lowering her own world record by 60 seconds. It was her third Chicago win, and the organisers said it was the first wheelchair world record ever set in the race.

Hug also raced alone for most of the way, chasing the clock rather than his rivals. He won his seventh Chicago title in 1:21:34, 63 seconds inside his own course record from 2023. In the women's race, nine-time champion Tatyana McFadden and Manuela Schär could not be separated on time, both clocking 1:42:01, and McFadden took second after a photo finish.

How did the British runners get on?

The best British result came in the men's wheelchair race. David Weir made an early charge, but Hug soon pulled away, and Weir finished third in 1:30:11, given the same time as Lito Anker of the Netherlands in second.

In the women's race, Jessica Warner-Judd was the first British finisher in 2:30:07, after reaching halfway in 1:12:21. Amy-Eloise Neale, making her marathon debut, passed halfway in 1:12:29, but no finish time is listed for her in the provisional results. The first British man home was Max Milarvie in 2:17:52, according to the organisers' provisional results.

How do this year's times compare with previous Chicago races?

• Men's course record: still Kelvin Kiptum's 2:00:35 from 2023. Kipruto finished 34 seconds outside it.
• Women's course record: still 2:09:56, set in 2024. Feysa was three minutes and 37 seconds outside it.
• Compared with 2025: Kiplimo won last year in 2:02:23 and Feysa in just under 2:15. Both winning times were more than a minute quicker this year, despite the humidity.
• Wheelchair records: Hug's 1:21:34 is a new course record, and Debrunner's 1:33:16 is a new world record.

What can everyday marathoners learn from Chicago?

You do not need to run 2:01 for this race to be useful. Whether you have an autumn marathon coming up or you are planning your first one next year, these lessons from the race apply.

How should you adjust your marathon goal on a warm day?

On race day, the race's chief medical and safety officer described it as a less than ideal day, told runners to stick to their plan, and warned that it may not be a day for a personal best. That is sound advice for any marathon. When it is warm and humid, your body works harder to keep cool, so the same pace feels tougher. Even Hurley, who ran brilliantly, said she started to feel the heat after about 20 miles.

Have a plan A for a cool day and a plan B for a warm one, and decide which you are running before you start, not at halfway. Start slower than your goal pace, use every drinks station, drink to thirst and wear light kit. Our guide to running in hot weather covers this in more detail.

Why does a patient start pay off in a marathon?

Look at how the race unfolded for the runners who held back. Lokedi let the leaders go early, caught them by 20km and ran a personal best by more than three minutes. Hurley worked her way from 13th to seventh. In the American men's race, Vinny Mauri went out at American record pace but had to stop to stretch before 35km and finished tenth, while the runners who started more steadily caught and passed him.

The same rule applies to everyday runners. Going off too quickly uses up energy you will need later and makes you more likely to hit the wall in a marathon. Aim to run the first 10km at a pace that feels almost too easy, then settle into your goal pace.

When should you make your move in a marathon?

Both winners waited. Kipruto said afterwards that the marathon really begins at 30km, and he made his decisive move just before 35km. Feysa did not break Lokedi until the final mile. For club runners, the same idea applies. If you reach 30km feeling in control, that is the time to press on. If you are already working hard by then, holding your pace is a win in itself.

How do you keep improving from one marathon to the next?

Kipruto's path to victory took three years: third, then second, then first. After finishing fourth in London in April, he said he added more mileage before Chicago. The everyday version is to treat each race as feedback. Change one or two things in your next training block, build up gradually and give it time to work.

Staying healthy matters just as much. Galen Rupp, now 40, had hip surgery in 2024 and came back to run 2:06:55, a US masters record by more than three minutes. He said afterwards that staying healthy always has to be the top priority. For most of us, that means regular strength work alongside our running, sensible rest after hard sessions, and seeing a physio about any niggle that does not settle, rather than training through it.

Thinking about running Chicago in 2027?

The 2027 Chicago Marathon will be on Sunday 10 October 2027. The organisers say applications for guaranteed and non-guaranteed entries are open now and close at 2pm Chicago time on Thursday 29 October 2026, so if you want to be in the draw, check the official race website soon. Places are not guaranteed, and demand is high. Next up among the big autumn marathons is New York on Sunday 1 November.

Whichever race you choose, give yourself 16 to 20 weeks of training, with strength and mobility built in alongside your running, so your body is ready for the demands of 42.2km.

How can Edge help you train for your next marathon?

Edge treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one plan, so your long runs, faster sessions and gym work fit together rather than competing for your energy. With Edge Pro, you get a fully personalised marathon plan, ready within 24 hours, built around your goal and your week, and you can message a real coach anytime with questions about pacing, fuelling or racing in the heat.

Edge syncs with Strava, Garmin, Apple Health and Coros, and 20,000+ members already train with Edge. The app is free to download, and Edge Pro costs from £19.99 a month after a free 7-day trial.

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