Kenya’s marathon stars will descend on the streets of Chicago on Sunday, seeking to extend the country’s dominance at the prestigious race by sweeping the men’s and women’s open titles.
With an impressive collection of victories in both divisions since the inaugural edition in 1977, Kenya heads into the race determined to reaffirm its status as a global marathon powerhouse. In the men’s race, Kenya leads the all-time honours list with 20 titles, well ahead of hosts the United States, who have nine.
Kenya enjoyed an unbeaten run between 2003 and 2011 before Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede ended the streak in 2012. The East African nation quickly reclaimed its dominance, winning four successive editions from 2013 to 2016 through Dennis Kimetto, Eliud Kipchoge, Dickson Chumba and Abel Kirui.
Another golden spell followed between 2022 and 2024, when Benson Kipruto, the late Kelvin Kiptum and John Korir delivered three consecutive victories. Kiptum’s win in 2023 was particularly memorable, as he set a world record of 2:00:35.
The mark stood until April 2026, when compatriot Sabastian Sawe shattered the barrier with a historic 1:59:30, becoming the first man to complete a marathon in under two hours.
Kenya’s women have also enjoyed remarkable success, winning 12 titles and establishing their supremacy through unbeaten spells between 1998 and 2001 and again from 2018 to 2022. At the 2024 edition, Ruth Chepng’etich produced a sensational world-record performance of 2:09:56, becoming the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier.
This year, experienced campaigner Amos Kipruto, former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei and the consistent Sharon Lokedi headline Kenya’s challenge as they target further success on Chicago’s fast course. Kipruto returns to familiar territory, having finished on the podium in his two previous appearances. The Kenyan narrowly missed out on victory last year, finishing second in 2:03:54 behind Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who won in 2:02:23.
He made his Chicago debut in 2024, finishing third in 2:04:50 behind compatriot Korir, who triumphed in 2:02:44, and Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa, who clocked 2:04:39 for second place.
Kipruto is relishing another opportunity to compete in a city where he has consistently challenged for the title. “I have a lot of love for Chicago, and I think it’s one of the greatest cities in the world,” he said. Daniel Mateiko will join him as the pair seek to dethrone Kiplimo and return the men’s crown to Kenya.
In the women’s race, Kosgei will be chasing a third Chicago Marathon title as she looks to recapture the form that established her among the world’s leading marathoners.
She first conquered the course in 2018, clocking 2:18:35 before returning a year later to deliver an even more remarkable performance. Kosgei stormed to victory in 2:14:04 in 2019, successfully defending her title while setting a world record that showcased her extraordinary endurance and front-running ability.
Lokedi, meanwhile, will make her Chicago debut but arrives with an impressive record on American soil. The 32-year-old has established herself among the leading names in women’s distance running, having won the Boston Marathon in 2025 and 2026 before adding Chicago to her list of targets.
She also claimed the New York City Marathon title in 2022, underlining her credentials as Kenya seeks to extend its dominance in the women’s division.
