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Who will run the 2024 Chicago Marathon? Top Elite to Watch – NBC Chicago

Who will run the 2024 Chicago Marathon? Top Elite to Watch – NBC Chicago

NOTE: Broadcast race day coverage and a finish line camera will be broadcast live Here from October 13th

The 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will feature former champions and exciting marathon stars with a potential record at stake.

The lineup is highlighted by two of the “10 fastest women of all time, two of the world’s most exciting marathon stars competing in the United States for the first time, and both defending wheelchair champions.”

“We are used to making history at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon,” executive race director Carey Pinkowski said in a statement. “With some of the fastest athletes in the world joining us this fall, we hope to continue the tradition of great performances this year.”

So who are the runners to keep an eye on?

Top women

Among the notable names at the start is Sutume Kebede from Ethiopia, the fastest marathon runner in the women’s field and whose finish at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon made her the eighth fastest of all time.

“I am very excited to return to Chicago and run on a course that has proven to be very fast,” Kebede, who had a disappointing finish at the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, said in a statement. “After seeing what my teammate Kelvin Kiptum did last year, I want to come to Chicago to do something great.”

Kebede trained in a group that once included the late Kelvin Kiptum, a world record holder in Chicago who tragically died in a car accident in February, shocking the global running community.

Kebede will also face former Chicago champion Ruth Chepngetich, who won both the 2021 and 2022 races and finished second in 2023.

The two will be joined by the second and third fastest Americans of all time, including former marathon record holder Keira D’Amato, who will return to the start line after two years as part of the broadcast team. Betsy Saina, who finished fifth in this year’s Tokyo Marathon, will attempt to complete her first finish in Chicago after dropping out of the 2019 race due to illness.

“I have a special history with the Chicago Marathon,” said D’Amato, who finished fourth in 2021. “For the last two years I’ve been speaking out as a lead actor for NBC. I’m looking forward to being able to walk with my legs again.”

D’Amato broke the American marathon record for the first time in Houston in 2022, beating a time that had stood for 16 years.

Emily Sisson broke the same record shortly afterwards at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. D’Amato was among the long line of legendary runners who celebrated Sisson at the finish line in Chicago this year.

Saina ran the third-fastest marathon time of any American woman, one place behind D’Amato.

Sara Hall and Emma Bates are also in action for the Americans. Hall’s best time of 2:20:32 came from Chandler in 2020. Bates ran her best time in 2022 at the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:22:10.

Top men

On the men’s side, Amos Kipruto from Kenya will highlight the elite squad.

“After reaching the podium at three Abbott World Marathon Majors, including a win at the 2022 TCS London Marathon, Kipruto now has his sights set on Chicago and, like Kebede, says he will also run in honor of Kiptum,” it said in a statement of the marathon.

“My goal is to achieve a personal best,” said Kipruto. “I want to show the world that I’m still the type of athlete capable of winning a major like Chicago.”

Kipruto faces Vincent Ngetich, also from Kenya, “who has an identical personal best of 2:03:13 and is aiming for his first major win.”

Ethiopian Birhanu Legese, whose 2:02:48 at the 2019 Berlin Marathon is the fastest personal best of all runners in the field, was also recently added to the squad.

In recent years he has finished in the top five in Tokyo, Valencia and London and placed fourth at the 2023 Amsterdam Marathon with a time of 2:04:43.

Two Japanese runners will also join the field: Kyohei Hosoya (2:06:35) and Toshiki Sadakata (2:07:05).

American runner Shadrack Kipchirchir, who won the 10,000-meter run at the USA Cross Country Championships in 2022 and competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, will also join the field.

Wheelchair user

Defending champions in the wheelchair class, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner, will return to try for repeat victories. Hug, also known as Swiss Silver Bullet, will be seeking his fifth Chicago title, but he will fight American rival and former Chicago winner Daniel Romanchuk and Aaron Pike, who will be making his 15th Chicago start.

“The Chicago Marathon has been a staple in my racing calendar for years,” said Hug. “The energy of the city and the enthusiasm of the spectators are unique. I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge and defending my title again.”

“I am honored to return to the Chicago Marathon as the defending champion,” said Debrunner, the marathon’s world record holder in the women’s wheelchair class. “The crowd was great last year and I’m confident it will be the same this year.”

Debrunner will battle it out with American racer Susannah Scaroni after the two had a close finish last year. Both Scaroni, the winner of the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and Manuela Schär, the 2018 winner, will try to dethrone Debrunner.

In the men’s wheelchair class, Canadian Josh Cassidy will take the field with the second best personal best time, just behind Marcel Hug’s world record performance of 1:17:47 in Oita in 2021.

American Michelle Wheeler also introduced a list of new participants, with a personal best of 1:45:45. Egypt’s Hoda Elshorbagy, who set a career best of 1:58:38 at last year’s Chicago Marathon, will also be at the start, along with American trio Eva Houston, Hanna Dederick and Rachel Cleaver.

Full Elite Cast

Here is the complete line-up:

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Professional Field – Women’s Open Division

name country Personal best
Ruth Chepngetich KEN 2:14:18 (Chicago, 2022)
Sutume Kebede ETH 2:15:55 (Tokyo, 2024)
Joyciline Jepkosgei KEN 2:16:24 (London, 2024)
Goodbye Azimeraw ETH 2:17:58 (London, 2021)
Ashete Bekere Dido ETH 2:17:58 (Tokyo, 2022)
Hivot Gebrekidan ETH 2:17:59 (Valencia, 2023)
Irine Cheptai KEN 2:18:22 (Hamburg, 2024)
Keira D’Amato USA 2:19:12 (Houston, 2022)
Betsy Saina USA 2:19:17 (Tokyo, 2024)
Sarah Hall USA 2:20:32 (Chandler, 2020)
Emma Bates USA 2:22:10 (Boston, 2022)
Buze Diriba ETH 2:23:11 (Toronto, 2023)
Sarah Vaughn USA 2:23:24 (Chicago, 2023)
Susanna Sullivan USA 2:24:27 (London, 2023)
Gabi Rooker USA 2:24:35 (Chicago, 2023)
Lindsay Flanagan USA 2:24:43 (Gold Coast, 2022)
Stacey Ndiwa KEN 2:25:29 (Los Angeles, 2024)
Laura Thweatt USA 2:25:38 (London, 2017)
Lauren Hagans USA 2:25:56 (Duluth, 2023)
Annie Frisbie USA 2:26:18 (New York, 2021)
Jackie Gaughan USA 2:27:08 (Berlin, 2023)
Dominique Scott RSA 2:27:31 (Chicago, 2023)
Diane Nukuri USA 2:27:50 (London, 2015)
Makena Morley USA 2:30:25 (Los Angeles, 2024)
Anne Marie Blaney USA 2:30:43 (Orlando, 2024)
Amy Davis Green USA 2:33:09 (Orlando, 2024)
Aubrey Frentheway USA debut

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Career Field – Women’s Wheelchair Division

name country classification Personal best
Susannah Scaroni USA T54 1:27:31 (Duluth, 2022)
Manuela Schär SUI T54 1:28:17 (Boston, 2017)
Tatyana McFadden USA T54 1:31:30 (Duluth, 2019)
Jenna Fesemyer USA T54 1:33:50 (Duluth, 2022)
Catherine Debrunner SUI T53 1:34:16 (Berlin, 2023) World record
Nikita Den Boer NED T54 1:38:16 (Tokyo, 2021)
Eden Rainbow Cooper GBR T54 1:35:11 (Boston, 2024)
Tian Yajuan CHN T54 1:39:39 (Dubai, 2024)
Yen Hoang USA T53 1:47:29 (London, 2022)

New arrivals:

  • Michelle Wheeler USA 1:45:45 (Oita, 2019)
  • Hoda Elshorbagy EGY 1:58:38 (Chicago, 2023)
  • Eva Houston USA 1:59:49 (Duluth, 2022)
  • Hannah Dederick USA 2:02:23 (Chicago, 2022)
  • Rachel Cleaver USA debut

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Professional Field – Open Men’s Division

name country Personal best
Amos Kipruto KEN 2:03:13 (Tokyo, 2022)
Vincent Ngetich KEN 2:03:13 (Berlin, 2023)
David Wolde ETH 2:03:48 (Valencia, 2023)
Amdework Walelegn ETH 2:04:50 (Rotterdam, 2024)
John Korir KEN 2:05:01 (Chicago, 2022)
Huseydin Mohamed Esa ETH 2:05:05 (Amsterdam, 2022)
Jemal Yimer ETH 2:06:08 (Seoul, 2024)
Tatsuya Maruyama JPN 2:07:50 (Berlin, 2022)
Yuichi Yasui JPN 2:08:48 (Beppu, 2023)
Jorge Castelblanco PAN 2:09:24 (Seville, 2024)
Zach Panning USA 2:09:28 (Chicago, 2022)
Brian Shrader USA 2:09:46 (Chicago, 2023)
CJ Albertson USA 2:09:53 (Boston, 2024)
Tomoki Yoshioka JPN 2:10:03 (Beppu, 2024)
Reed Fischer USA 2:10:34 (Boston, 2022)
Nathan Martin USA 2:10:45 (Duluth, 2023)
Colin Mickow USA 2:11:22 (Chandler, 2020)
Kevin Salvano USA 2:11:26 (Chicago, 2023)
Jacob Thomson USA 2:11:40 (Gold Coast, 2023)
Turner Wiley USA 2:11:59 (Chicago, 2022)
JP Flavin USA 2:13:27 (Boston, 2023)
Charlie Sweeney USA 2:13:41 (Sacramento, 2023)
Ben Kendell USA 2:15:49 (Sacramento, 2022)
Phil Migas MAY 2:15:53 ​​(Hamburg, 2024)
Daniel Ebenyo KEN debut
Alex Maier USA debut

New arrivals:

  • Birhanu Legese ETH 2:02:48 (Berlin, 2019)
  • Kyohei Hosoya JPN 2:06:35 (Otsu, 2021)
  • Toshiki Sadakata JPN 2:07:05 (Tokyo, 2020)
  • Shadrack Kipchirchir USA 2:13:02 (Amsterdam, 2023)
  • Peter Lynch IRL debut
  • Alex Masai KEN debut

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Career Field – Men’s Wheelchair Division

name country classification Personal best
Marcel Hug SUI T54 1:17:47 (Oita, 2021) World record
Aaron Pike USA T54 1:20:02 (Duluth, 2022)
Johnboy Smith GBR T54 1:20:05 (Duluth, 2022)
Kota Hokinoue JPN T54 1:20:54 (Seoul, 2013)
Daniel Romanchuk USA T54 1:21:36 (Boston, 2019)
Rafael Botello Jimenez ESP T54 1:22:09 (Boston, 2017)
Patrick Monahan IRL T53 1:22:23 (Duluth, 2019)
Luo Xingchuan CHN T54 1:23:49 (Chengdu, 2023)
Sho Watanabe JPN T54 1:24:00 (Oita, 2019)
Simon Lawson GBR T53 1:25:06 (Boston, 2017)
Ma Zhuo CHN T54 1:25:10 (Chengdu, 2023)
Hiroki Nishida JPN T54 1:20:28 (Boston, 2017)
Brian Sieman USA T53 1:26:46 (Boston, 2017)
HuYang CHN T54 1:32:15 (Chengdu, 2023)
Rob Smith GBR T52 1:55:51 (Dubai, 2017)

New arrivals:

  • Josh Cassidy CAN 1:18:25 (Boston, 2012)
  • Hiroki Nishida JPN 1:20:28 (Boston, 2017)
  • Jordi Madera ESP 1:22:10 (Boston, 2017)
  • Tomoki Suzuki JPN 1:22:55 (Oita, 2019)
  • Jetze Plat NED 1:24:28 (Dubai, 2023)
  • Evan Correll USA 1:27:19 (Duluth, 2022)
  • Jason Robinson USA 1:29:01 (Duluth, 2022)
  • Grant Pierce USA 2:00:18 (Chicago, 2023)
  • Ethan Burkhart USA 2:00:53 (Duluth, 2019)