HomeAthleticsATHLETICS: Uganda’s Kiplimo rolls to easy Chicago Marathon win, Mantz shatters American Record, Feysa gets world-leading women’s...

ATHLETICS: Uganda’s Kiplimo rolls to easy Chicago Marathon win, Mantz shatters American Record, Feysa gets world-leading women’s title

The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★

To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here!

≡ CHICAGO MARATHON ≡

There were multiple storylines at the 47th Chicago Marathon on Sunday, including whether Conner Mantz would get the American Record.

But Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, still just 24 and already an Olympic and Worlds bronze medalist at 10,000 m and the 2023 World Half Marathon champ, showed he will be a force in the marathon for years to come.

He ran his first marathon at London in April, finishing second in 2:03:37, moving into 29th place on the all-time list.

In Chicago, he was much better.

By the halfway (21.1 km) mark, he was in the lead group of five in a blazing 1:00:16 – world-record pace – with defending champion John Korir (KEN) in the lead. By 25 km, it was Korir, Kiplimo and 2022 London winner Amos Kipruto (KEN) alone in front and then Kiplimo took off.

By the 30 km split, he had a 12-second lead on Korir and 28 seconds on Kipruto and it was over. Korir dropped out shortly afterwards and Kipruto ran to the finish unchallenged – except by the hard pace – in 2:02:23, the no. 2 performance of the year and making him no. 7 on the all-time list. Very, very impressive; his second half was 1:02:07.

Behind him was Kipruto in second at 2:03:54, then Kenya’s Alex Masai, ninth last year (2:08:51) but now third in a lifetime best of 2:04:37!

In fourth was Mantz, who had been running with Masai since the 30 km mark. Looking to break the American Record of 2:05:38 by Khalid Khannouchi in 2002 in London, he crushed it, finishing in 2:04:43. That’s also better than the 2:04:58 “all-conditions best” by Ryan Hall in 2011 at the record-ineligible Boston Marathon.

New American citizen (as of 2 September) Wesley Kiptoo was 14th in 2:09:02, followed by Ryan Ford (2:09:37) and Galen Rupp (2:09:41), now 39, with his best time since 2023 and his eighth career sub-2:10 marathon.

But there was more drama, as the women were still on the course.

Paris Olympian Magdalena Shauri (TAN) and Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa, third in Tokyo this year had built a six-second lead by the 10 km mark and were seven seconds up on Megertu Alemu (ETH) as they passed the half in a quick 1:07:30. Feysa finally shook free by 30 km, with a five-second lead and built her advantage steadily.

Shauri dropped back and by 35 km, Alemu was second, but 15 seconds behind. Feysa took off and had a 1:22 lead by 40 km and flew home in a world-leading 2:14:56, a lifetime best by more than two minutes!

That moves her to no. 5 all-time and she’s only 26. It was her second win in five career marathons.

Alemu and Shauri held second and third to the line, in 2:17:18 and 2:18:03 (lifetime best).

The U.S. had three in the top 10, with Natosha Rogers sixth in 2:23:28 (lifetime best), then Dakotah Popehn (2:24:21 lifetime best) and Gabriella Rooker ninth (2:26:32).

Prize money for the top five was $100,000-75,000-50,000-30,000-25,000, with bonuses for the top Americans of $15,000-12,000-10,000-7,000-5,000.

The marathon season continues as there’s one more World Marathon Major race on the calendar, the New York City Marathon on 2 November; plus the ultra-fast Valencia Marathon in Spain on 7 December.

Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.

For our updated, 850-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

Must Read