One of the fastest courses in the world delivered several stellar performances once again. On Sunday, October 8, the 45th running of the Chicago Marathon featured impressive efforts in a race that covers 29 neighborhoods throughout the city.
With temperatures hovering in the high-40s at the start, the athletes enjoyed ideal weather conditions in the Windy City. Here are the highlights from the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Kelvin Kiptum obliterates the world record
In just his third marathon, Kelvin Kiptum shattered the world record. Running the majority of the second half solo, the Kenyan athlete finished in 2:00:35, 34 seconds faster than the previous 2:01:09 world record set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2022.
Just six months after running the second-fastest marathon of all time in London, Kiptum kept the momentum going with a major breakthrough in Chicago. The 23-year-old shattered his previous 2:01:25 personal best on his way to a historic performance.
Behind Kiptum, Benson Kipruto of Kenya finished second in 2:04:02, and Bashir Abdi of Belgium placed third in 2:04:32.
The race started with Kiptum and Daniel Mateiko running together within a pack of pacesetters. The Kenyan athletes didn’t waste any time in their effort, covering the first 10K in 28:42. By the time Kiptum and Mateiko, who was running his debut, reached halfway in 1:00:48, the pacesetters had stepped off the course.
The competitors ran shoulder-to-shoulder until mile 19, when Kiptum broke away with a blazing 4:21 split. Mateiko couldn’t respond to the move, and Kiptum forged ahead for the remaining seven miles.
Powering through the toughest sections of the race solo, Kiptum continued to pick up speed with an impressive 4:18 split at mile 22. As he approached the final turn into the finish line, it was clear the world record was well within reach. Waving to the crowd on the homestretch, Kiptum crushed the mark and his goals for the race.
“A world record was not in my mind today,” Kiptum said on the NBC Chicago broadcast, while explaining he was aiming for the course record. “But I knew one day I would be a world record-holder.”
Sifan Hassan runs second-fastest marathon of all time
Also on the rise in a new event, Sifan Hassan won the women’s race in the second-fastest time ever. The Dutch athlete won the Chicago Marathon in 2:13:44, less than two minutes slower than the 2:11:53 world record set by Tigst Assefa at the Berlin Marathon two weeks ago.
Hassan’s victory marks another impressive run six months after she won the London Marathon in her 26.2 debut. Behind the two-time Olympic champion, Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya finished second in 2:15:37 one year after winning the race.
From the start, it was clear the top runners were gunning for the world record in response to Assefa’s masterful run in Berlin. Together, Hassan and Chepgnetich latched onto a team of pacers, who led the duo through 10K in 31:05, well within range of world record pace.
Heading into the halfway point, a back-and-forth battle kicked off between the competitors. Just past 11 miles, Hassan jumped to the lead. But Chepngetich regained the top position at the 13.1 split, which she covered in 1:05:42, six seconds ahead of Hassan.
But the two-time world champion fought back and eventually passed her for good around mile 18. Running solo, Hassan extended her lead through the grueling final sections of the course to come out on top once again.
Her victory improves on her previous personal best by more than five minutes and follows an impressive triple at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she added two more medals to her growing collection.
Two American men achieve the Olympic standard
The American contingent was led by Conner Mantz, who finished sixth overall and ran a personal best of 2:07:47. His former BYU teammate Clayton Young placed seventh in 2:08:00. Both athletes dipped under the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:08:10.
Running his first marathon since the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Galen Rupp finished eighth in 2:08:48.
Three American women crack the top 10
A year after breaking the national record in Chicago, Emily Sisson returned as the top American with a seventh-place finish in 2:22:09. Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel finished eighth overall in 2:23:07, and Sara Vaughn placed 10th in 2:23:24.
After turning 40 in July, Des Linden broke the American masters record by running 2:27:35, beating the previous record (2:27:47) set by Deena Kastor.
Catherine Debrunner breaks women’s course record
In a sprint finish, Catherine Debrunner came out on top to win a thrilling battle in the women’s wheelchair competition. The Swiss athlete won in 1:38:44, breaking the previous course record. Just two seconds back, Susannah Scaroni finished second in 1:38:46.
For Debrunner, the title follows another victory two weeks earlier at the Berlin Marathon.
Marcel Hug destroys his own course record
Just two weeks after winning his eighth Berlin Marathon title, Marcel Hug won his fourth Chicago Marathon in 1:22:37 time. The five-time Paralympian shattered the 1:25:20 course record he set last year. The “Silver Bullet” from Switzerland dominated the race from the start, leading wire-to-wire on Sunday morning.
Daniel Romanchuk won a tight race for second. The American claimed the runner-up spot in 1:31:34, four seconds ahead of Jetze Plat of the Netherlands, who finished third in 1:31:40.
Jake Caswell wins nonbinary division
Less than a year after winning the nonbinary division of the 2022 New York City Marathon, Jake Caswell collected more hardware in Chicago this weekend. The New York City-based runner finished in 2:38:05, over a minute ahead of runner-up Jonah Grant. Nate Crail finished third in 2:40:52.
The performances highlight a growing division, which started in 2022. This year, 242 participants selected nonbinary or “prefer not to say” as a gender identity when registering for the Chicago Marathon, according to race organizers. The number is a huge increase from the 70 individuals who registered for the division last year.
Taylor Dutch
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
