Kenya's Amos Kipruto wins Chicago Marathon in personal best 2:01:09

Kenya's Amos Kipruto won the Chicago Marathon on 11 October 2026 in a personal best of 2:01:09, his first victory in the race, The Star reported on 11 October. The 34-year-old finished ahead of Ethiopia's Tadese Takele, who ran 2:02:56.

Milkesa Mengesha of Ethiopia was third in 2:03:46. Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, the defending champion and the favourite, was fourth in 2:04:18. The Star gave Kiplimo's personal best as 2:00:28.

Kipruto had finished third in Chicago in 2024 and second in 2025, behind Kiplimo, according to The Star. He won the 2022 London Marathon and took bronze at the 2019 World Championships, the Kenyan news site Capital FM reported. "It was either win or die for me," Kipruto said after the race, as quoted by The Star.

Capital FM's splits show a six-man lead group at halfway, reached in 1:00:21, that included Kiplimo, Takele and Kipruto. Kiplimo led through 25 kilometres in 1:11:19, then raised the pace, and Kipruto was the only runner who stayed with him. The two reached 30 kilometres in 1:25:28, Capital FM said.

Kipruto was 12 seconds clear at 35 kilometres, passed in 1:39:58, and 47 seconds clear by mile 23, according to Capital FM. Takele moved into second place and reached 40 kilometres in 1:54:31.

Capital FM said the winning time equals the 2:01:09 that Eliud Kipchoge ran in Berlin in 2022. The Standard said it is the second-fastest winning time in the history of the Chicago Marathon, behind the course record of 2:00:35 that Kelvin Kiptum set in 2023.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa defended her title in 2:13:33, Capital FM and The Star reported. Kenya's Sharon Lokedi was second in a personal best of 2:14:07, and Kenya's Brigid Kosgei was third in 2:14:55. Feysa also won the Frankfurt Marathon in 2024.

President William Ruto congratulated the Kenyan runners, The Standard reported on 11 October. "We salute Team Kenya for making us proud at the Chicago Marathon," he said, and he also commended Lokedi and Kosgei for finishing second and third in the women's race.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen congratulated Kipruto "on winning the Chicago Marathon, setting a new personal best of 2:01:09 and reclaiming Kenya's dominance in the competition", as quoted by The Standard on 11 October.