Kenyan distance star Amos Kipruto finally had his breakthrough at the Chicago Marathon, storming to his maiden title in the Windy City on Sunday after two consecutive years of near misses, in which he finished on the podium but fell short of the ultimate prize.
Kipruto, who trains alongside world record holder Sebastian Sawe, delivered a commanding performance to breast the tape in a lifetime best of 2:01:09, coming within striking distance of the late Kelvin Kiptum’s course record of 2:00:35.
Ethiopia’s Tadese Bikila finished second in 2:02:56, while compatriot Milkesa Mengesha completed the podium in 2:03:46. Defending champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, meanwhile, missed out on a podium finish, settling for fourth place in 2:04:18.
Kipruto’s triumph on Sunday made him third-time lucky on the Chicago course, as he finally converted his podium finishes in 2024 and 2025 into a memorable victory.
He made his Chicago debut in 2024, finishing third in 2:04:50 behind compatriot John Korir, who won the race in 2:02:44, and Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa, who clocked 2:04:39 for second place.
Kipruto returned to Chicago in 2025 determined to go one better but fell short again, finishing runner-up in 2:03:54 behind Kiplimo, who claimed the title in 2:02:23.
Kenya’s Alex Masai completed the podium in 2:04:37. Having twice finished on the podium without claiming the top prize, Kipruto finally got his reward on Sunday, capping his persistence with a career-defining victory and a significant improvement on his previous best.
Kipruto said he had approached this year’s race with a win-or-nothing mentality after two consecutive years of near misses on the Chicago streets. “I thank the Chicago fraternity for allowing me to come back here and run.
“The race today was good. I told myself I had to run well because I had been here twice before, finishing third in 2024 and second in 2025,” Kipruto said after the race.
“For me, this race was a win or nothing.” The Kenyan star also credited his thorough preparations in the build-up to the race, saying he had done enough work to put himself in contention for victory.
“My preparations for the Chicago Marathon were very good. I had prepared well,” he said. Kipruto lined up in Chicago on the back of a productive start to his 2026 campaign. On April 26, he competed at the London Marathon, where he narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in 2:01:39 in a race that will be remembered for Sawe’s historic exploits.
Kipruto’s training partner stole the headlines by shattering the men’s marathon world record, becoming the first man in history to break the two-hour barrier in an officially recognised marathon with a sensational 1:59:30. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha also dipped under the previous world record to finish second in 1:59:41, while Kiplimo completed the podium in 2:00:28.
Following his exploits on the roads of London, Kipruto briefly switched his focus to the track, lining up in the men’s 5,000m at the National Police Service (NPS) Track and Field Championships on May 20, where he finished fourth in 14:02.12.
Andrew Alamisi won the race in 13:49.98, holding off Stephen Kipkech, who clocked 13:55.22, and Naibei Mayebei, who finished third in 13:57.01. Meanwhile, in the women’s race, two-time Boston Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi fell short of the title in her debut in Chicago, settling for second place. Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa successfully defended her title from 2025, crossing the finish line in 2:13:33, while Lokedi followed in 2:14:07. Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei completed the podium in 2:14:55.
Despite missing out on the title, Lokedi has enjoyed a strong 2026 season. She opened her campaign with a second-place finish at the New York Half Marathon in 1:07:10 before successfully defending her Boston Marathon crown in April, clocking 2:18:51 to retain the title she won in 2025.
Her progress suffered a minor setback at the New York 10K, where she faded to seventh place in 31:44. However, Lokedi responded strongly, bouncing back to win the Boston 10K in 31:28.
