Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa delivered the performance of her life at the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, winning in a blazing 2:14:56 to lead an Ethiopian 1–2 finish on a crisp, record-friendly morning in the Windy City.
The 24-year-old, who finished third at the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, ran a perfectly timed race, breaking away from compatriot Megertu Alemu after 30 kilometers and powering to victory down Michigan Avenue to secure the fastest marathon time of her career, and one of the top ten performances in women’s marathon history.
Feysa crossed halfway in 1:07:30 as part of a tightly packed lead group that included Alemu, Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania, and debutant Ejgayehu Taye. At 30K (1:35:54), Feysa began to surge, gradually opening a gap on Alemu and Shauri as her smooth stride and calm pacing held steady while others began to fade.
Her closing 12 kilometers were a display of poise and endurance. Alemu, third in Chicago in 2023, couldn’t match her teammate’s strength but held on for second in 2:17:18, while Shauri, who led through the early stages, finished third in 2:18:03, setting a new Tanzanian national record and confirming her place among the emerging stars of East African distance running.
Feysa’s 2:14:56 makes her the sixth-fastest woman in marathon history and the second-fastest ever in Chicago, behind Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:14:18 course record from 2022. It also marks a new personal best by more than two minutes, cementing her rise into the sport’s top tier.
