Chicago Marathon 2023: stacked elite fields lined up
The Chicago Marathon is set for high-quality races, given the big names announced to take part
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Men's field: Kipruto v Kiptum, the showdown everyone wants to see
Kenya's Benson Kipruto will defend his title at the Chicago Marathon on 8 October, the organisers have announced. He won last year in 2:04:24, the 4th fastest time ever run in Chicago. His main challenger will be his compatriot Kelvin Kiptum, who is the 2nd fastest man in history. Chicago will be a first for him. Kiptum also arrives full of confidence after winning this year's London Marathon, only his second marathon. He clocked 2:01:25, 16 seconds off the world record. Ethiopia's Seifu Tura will also be on the start line. He won the race in 2021 and was runner-up last year. Belgium's Bashir Abdi, a world and Olympic bronze medallist and this year's Rotterdam Marathon winner, will also be in the field.
Conner Mantz and Galen Rupp, the 2017 Chicago Marathon champion and the second fastest American marathoner of all time, will carry the flag for the United States. Ethiopia's Dawit Wolde, Brazil's Daniel Do Nascimento and Kenya's John Korir are among the other world-class marathoners entered.
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Women's field: Ruth Chepngetich to defend her title
Defending champion Ruth Chepngetich will go head to head with London Marathon winner Sifan Hassan and American record holder Emily Sisson in the women's race. Alongside that trio, Joyciline Jepkosgei, winner of the 2021 London Marathon and the 2019 New York Marathon, will make her Chicago debut, as will Genzebe Dibaba. The Ethiopian holds several world records on the track, indoors and outdoors. She made her marathon debut in Amsterdam last year, running 2:18:05.
The American contingent also includes Olympic bronze medallist Molly Seidel, 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden, Emma Bates, whom the source describes as a finalist in Chicago in 2021, and Aliphine Tuliamuk, winner of the 2020 US Olympic trials.
Other notable women in the field include Ethiopia's Ababel Yesheneh and the American pair Nell Rojas and Sara Vaughn.
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