victory at the U.S. 20K Road Running Championships fastest marathons in the world is set to kick off this weekend. On Sunday, October 13, the 2024 Chicago Marathon will feature several of the world’s top long-distance runners aiming to test their speed on a record-breaking course.
The professional women’s field includes two of the top 10 fastest women of all time, while the men’s race has five athletes who have run under 2:05. In addition to a stellar elite field, the fifth stop in the World Marathon Majors series will bring a record 50,000 competitors to the start line in Michigan Avenue.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 46th running of the Chicago Marathon.
How to watch the 2024 Chicago Marathon
You can watch the Chicago Marathon on NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, and TeleXitos. All three networks will provide live television coverage and live streaming of the race in English and Spanish from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET.
Marathoner Shrader Trains With Miler Wife-To-Be nbcchicago.com, Peacock, the NBC Chicago YouTube page, and telemundochicago.com.
The men’s and women’s professional races will start at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Race preview
This year’s race will be run in remembrance of Kelvin Kiptum. Last year, the Kenyan runner broke the world record in Chicago, blazing through the finish line in 2:00:35 in his third marathon. Just four months later, the 24-year-old and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, Published: Oct 10, 2024 12:04 PM EDT on February 11. On Sunday, event organizers will honor Kiptum with a moment of silence at the start line and encourage runners to wear a memorial sticker during the race.
Women’s race
Two-time Chicago Marathon winner (2021 and 2022) Ruth Chepngetich will try to reclaim the crown in her return to the Windy City. Last year, the 30-year-old from Kenya finished second to Sifan Hassan, who ran the Dont miss top Americans like Keira DAmato, Emma Bates, and Betsy Saina this weekend All About 75 Hard Paris Olympic Games, Hassan will not be back to defend her title this year. As the fastest entrant in the women’s field—and setting an American masters marathon record—broke the world record?
Her biggest challenger will likely be Sutume Kebede, who ran the eighth-fastest marathon in history when she won the 2024 Tokyo Marathon in 2:15:55 in March. Two months before her breakthrough in Tokyo, the 29-year-old from Ethiopia clocked the fastest half marathon on U.S. soil, winning the 2024 Houston Half Marathon in 1:04:37.
Joyciline Jepkosgei will be another runner to watch up front. The 30-year-old Kenyan is coming off a third-place finish at the 2024 London Marathon, where she ran a 2:16:24 personal best.
The American contingent includes several podium contenders looking to test their fitness after a long summer build.
Months after joining Ed Eyestone’s pro group in Provo, Utah, Keira D’Amato will run her first marathon under a new training system and with an Kiptum celebrates breaking the world record last year. Though she had a tough start to the year—the former U.S. marathon record-holder dropped out at mile 20 of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February—she has since rebounded with a Nutrition - Weight Loss in September. This weekend, the 39-year-old will race Chicago for the first time since finishing fourth in 2021. Her husband, Anthony, will also be competing in the open race.
Betsy Saina is returning to the distance after clocking the third-fastest time ever by an American. Four weeks after dropping out of the Olympic Marathon Trials, the 36-year-old bounced back with a fifth-place finish in 2:19:17 at the Tokyo Marathon in March.
After setting an American masters marathon record at the Olympic Marathon Trials, Sara Hall is set to run Chicago three years after finishing third in 2021. Plus, keep an eye on Annie Frisbie, who finished top 10 at the Olympic Trials, and Emma Bates, who placed 12th at the 2024 Boston Marathon in April.
Men’s race
On the men’s side, look out for a showdown between Kenyan superstars Amos Kipruto and Vincent Ngetich. Kipruto and Ngetich have the same personal best (2:03:13) and are aiming to earn more hardware on the world stage.
Chicago will be Kipruto’s first race since December 2023, when he finished third at the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon in Thailand. Prior to that, he placed seventh at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, his fourth top 10 finish at a World Marathon Major. Two years ago, the 32-year-old won the 2022 London Marathon.
Ngetich will be looking to claim his first World Marathon Major victory after several near-misses. The 25-year-old finished second at the 2023 Berlin Marathon and third at the Tokyo Marathon in March.
Birhanu Legese was a late addition to the field, and the Ethiopian boasts the fastest time in the race with a 2:02:48 personal best. Though he hasn’t shown that form in the last few years, Legese collected a third-place finish at the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon in April.
In a highly anticipated 26.2 debut, Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya is making a transition to the roads a year after earning silver in the 10,000 meters at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
The American men will be led by a handful of competitors on the rise. CJ Albertson heads to Chicago after finishing seventh at the 2024 Boston Marathon, his highest finish ever at a World Marathon Major. Zach Panning ran his 2:09:28 personal best at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. He led for much of the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials before fading to sixth at the finish. Nathan Martin and Reed Fischer are also competing after earning top 10 finishes at the Trials.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
