The 2014 World Half Marathon silver medallist, Mary Ngugi-Cooper, is plotting a big statement at next month’s Chicago Marathon as she chases an elusive first career victory over the 42km distance.
Ngugi headlines a stellar women’s field announced for the Windy City showdown, going toe-to-toe with some top-class athletes.
The 36-year-old has been burning the midnight oil in training and is brimming with anticipation.
“The road to the Chicago Marathon has begun. I can’t wait. Really looking forward to getting back out there,” she declared on her socials.
Ngugi heads to Chicago looking to improve on her last outing at the Boston Marathon on April 21, where she clocked 2:24:39 for 11th place.
That race was dominated by Sharon Lokedi (2:17:22), Hellen Obiri (2:17:41), and Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:18:06), who occupied the podium.
Her marathon journey began in 2019 with solid runs in Boston and New York.She posted 2:28:33 for seventh in Boston before returning a 10th-place finish in New York with 2:27:36.
Her breakthrough came in Boston 2021, where she stormed to her maiden podium finish, clocking 2:25:20 for second place, behind veteran Edna Kiplagat (2:25:09), with Monicah Wanjuhi sealing the podium in 2:25:32.
Ngugi returned to Boston in 2022 and again impressed, running 2:21:32 for third place behind world champion Peres Jepchirchir (2:21:01) and Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh (2:21:05). That same year, she also tackled the London Marathon, where she placed seventh in 2:20:22.
Her 2023 campaign proved rocky, finishing ninth in Boston (2:24:33) and fifth in New York (2:27:53). In 2024, she was back in Boston, this time crossing the line sixth in 2:24:24 in a race won by Obiri in 2:22:37.
Despite the frustrations over 42km, Ngugi remains a proven half-marathon specialist. She owns back-to-back Boston Half Marathon crowns from 2015 (1:10:21) and 2016 (1:10:19), as well as a sensational Houston win in 2016 (1:06:29).
On the global stage, she claimed silver at the 2014 World Half Marathon Championships (1:07:44) and returned for bronze in 2016 (1:07:54), finishing behind Jepchirchir (1:07:31) and Cynthia Jerotich (1:07:34).
In Chicago, she will line up alongside fellow Kenyan Irene Cheptai, last year’s third-place finisher, who is also in search of redemption after opening her 2025 season with a fourth-place (2:21:32) in Boston.
Adding intrigue is Loice Chemnung, who makes her much-anticipated full marathon debut. The Kenyan trio, however, face formidable opposition from Ethiopia. Leading the charge is Alemu Megertu, the 2023 London Marathon runner-up and, on paper, the fastest in the field. She will be joined by compatriot Hawi Feysa, the Tokyo third-place finisher.
by TEDDY MULEI
