Amos Kipruto Wins 2026 Chicago Marathon as Sharon Lokedi and Brigid Kosgei Reach Women’s Podium
Featured image: Archive photograph of Amos Kipruto competing at the 2023 London Marathon, not the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Photo: Katie Chan / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The photograph has not been altered.
Kenya’s Amos Kipruto claimed the men’s title at the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, 11 October, with a personal-best time of 2:01:09. Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa won the women’s race in 2:13:33, while Kenyan athletes Sharon Lokedi and Brigid Kosgei finished second and third respectively.
Kipruto completes Chicago podium progression
The men’s victory completed a notable three-year sequence for Kipruto: third in Chicago in 2024, second in 2025 and champion in 2026. According to World Athletics, his latest time improved his personal best by 30 seconds and moved him into a tie for fifth on the men’s all-time marathon list at the time of the race.
Kipruto separated himself from the leading contenders in the second half of the event and maintained his advantage to the finish. The 2:01:09 performance was described by the organisers as the second-fastest marathon time recorded on United States soil.
Feysa wins women’s contest; Kenyan pair make podium
In the women’s race, defending champion Feysa accelerated late to secure another Chicago victory. Lokedi crossed in 2:14:07 and Kosgei in 2:14:55. World Athletics reported that the result made Chicago 2026 the first marathon in which three women completed the race in under 2 hours and 15 minutes.
For Lokedi, the second-place finish was another elite international performance. Kosgei, a former women’s marathon world-record holder, also demonstrated her continued competitiveness in a deep field. Neither runner won the women’s race; Feysa was the champion.
Why the results stand out
Chicago is among the world’s leading road-running events, attracting elite runners and tens of thousands of recreational participants. The 2026 edition was its 48th running. The men’s winning time and the unprecedented depth of the women’s podium underline the increasingly demanding standards at the top of marathon competition.
The performances also demonstrate the strength of Kenyan distance running across multiple athletes, rather than one individual star. However, race results do not by themselves establish future team selections, sponsorship awards or eligibility for other competitions.
Official results and primary sources
See the Chicago Marathon official results, the race organiser’s 11 October announcement, and World Athletics’ race report for the verified times and finishing order.
