Chicago Just Loaded Up One Of The Deepest Marathon Fields It’s Ever Had

Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa return to defend their titles on October 11, but the story of the 2026 Chicago field is its depth: six men have broken 2:04, Brigid Kosgei is back for the first time since 2019, and Sharon Lokedi makes her Chicago debut.

Published: Jul 23, 2026 7:10 pm

Jessy Carveth

Jessy Carveth

Jessy is our Senior News Editor, pro cyclist and former track and field athlete with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology.

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Chicago has never been shy about chasing fast times, and the elite fields for the 48th Bank of America Chicago Marathon, announced on July 23, are built for exactly that. Defending champions Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa headline what organizers are calling one of the deepest fields in race history, and the numbers back the claim up. The 48th running goes off from Grant Park on October 11.

Chicago Just Loaded Up One Of The Deepest Marathon Fields It's Ever Had 1

Kiplimo Is A Different Runner Than The One Who Won Last Year

Kiplimo won in 2025 in 2:02:23, the second-fastest time ever run in Chicago, and he has only gotten more dangerous since. His 2:00:28 at the 2026 London Marathon ranks as the third-fastest marathon in history, he reclaimed the half marathon world record with a 57:20 in Lisbon, and he opened the year with a third straight World Cross Country title. He arrives in Chicago as arguably the best distance runner on the planet.

“Winning Chicago was a special moment, but defending the title means even more,” Kiplimo said. “Right now, I believe I’m capable of competing with anyone in the world.”

He’ll get the chance. The two men who joined him on last year’s podium are both back: Kenya’s Amos Kipruto, second in London this year in a 2:01:29 personal best, and fellow Kenyan Alex Masai, third in Chicago in 2025. Add 2024 Berlin champion Milkesa Mengesha and back-to-back Tokyo winner Tadese Takele Bikila, and you have a field where six men have run under 2:04.

Chicago Just Loaded Up One Of The Deepest Marathon Fields It's Ever Had 2

The Americans Have A Genuine Star

The U.S. contingent is led by Charles Hicks, and he is not making up the numbers. His 2:04:35 from Boston this spring is the second-fastest marathon ever run by an American, and he’s chosen Chicago’s flat course specifically to chase speed. “It’s a place where people run fast, and I want to put myself in a position to be a part of that,” Hicks said.

Behind him is a deep American group: 2024 Olympian Clayton Young, 2017 Chicago champion and Olympic medalist Galen Rupp, and Vincent Mauri, who stunned the sport with a 2:05:54 win at the Toledo Marathon this spring as a near-unknown and now makes his Marathon Majors debut.

Chicago Just Loaded Up One Of The Deepest Marathon Fields It's Ever Had 3

The Women’s Race Might Be The Better Watch

Feysa won last year by more than two minutes, and she’s honest that a repeat will be harder. “Chicago is known for being fast and fiercely competitive, so I hope to run a personal best,” she said. The field lined up against her is loaded.

Brigid Kosgei, the former world record holder and two-time Chicago champion, returns to the course for the first time since her dominant 2019 win, fresh off a Tokyo Marathon victory this year. Sharon Lokedi, a two-time Boston champion and 2022 New York winner, makes her Chicago debut and will run a flat major for the first time. Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede and Megertu Alemu return as proven Chicago performers.

Americans Susanna Sullivan and Natosha Rogers, who each set personal bests in Chicago, lead the home charge, with Olympian Dakotah Popehn back after finishing seventh last year. Two names stand out for different reasons: Emma Grace Hurley makes a much-anticipated marathon debut after setting the American 8K record in Chicago this spring, and two-time Olympian Des Linden will race as part of her build-up to a 100-mile debut this fall.