By Chris Chavez
July 25, 2023
Chicago Marathon race organizers announced the men’s and women’s elite fields for the 2023 edition of the race on Sunday, Oct. 8.
Here is the women’s elite field:
- Ruth Chepngetich (KEN, 2:14:18)
- Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN, 2:17:43)
- Genzebe Dibaba (ETH, 2:18:05)
- Sutume Kebede (ETH, 2:18:12)
- Emily Sisson (USA, 2:18:29)
- Sifan Hassan (NED, 2:18:33)
- Tigist Girma (ETH, 2:18:52)
- Ababel Yesheneh (ETH, 2:20:51)
- Des Linden (USA, 2:22:38)
- Emma Bates (USA, 2:23:18)
- Aliphine Tuliamuk (USA, 2:24:37)
- Nell Rojas (USA, 2:24:51)
- Molly Seidel (USA, 2:24:42)
- Dakotah Lindwurm (USA, 2:25:01)
- Sara Vaughn (USA, 2:26:23)
- Gabriella Rooker (USA, 2:27:38)
- Diane Nukuri (USA, 2:27:50)
- Maggie Montoya (USA, 2:28:07)
- Stacy Ndiwa (KEN, 2:31:53)
Storylines to watch:
– Ruth Chepngetich was previously announced as the headliner as she returns to defend her title and potentially take a crack at Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14:04 world record from 2019 on this course. London Marathon champion Sifan Hassan was also part of an announcement last month. She will be running her second career marathon after competing on the track at August's World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
– Joyciline Jepkosgei, who has previously won the New York City and London Marathons, will make her Chicago Marathon debut.
– Genzebe Dibaba, the former 1500m world record holder, clocked a 2:18:05 in her marathon debut last fall in Amsterdam. She dropped out of this year’s London Marathon so she is looking for her first World Marathon Majors finish.
– U.S. record holder and last year’s runner-up Emily Sisson will face stiff competition on the American side. Emma Bates, who was 7th at last year’s world championship and the top American at this year’s Boston Marathon, has already vocalized her desire to try and attack Sisson’s 2:18:29 record.
– Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel has not completed a marathon since her 2:24:42 fourth place finish at the 2021 New York City Marathon. She was planning to run the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan in March but withdrew due to a right hip injury. She most recently competed in the BAA 10K on June 25th in Boston (33:35) and just participated in the Speedgoat 28k for fun.
– 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Aliphine Tuliamuk, who will be making her Chicago debut, also notched a personal best of 2:24:37 in Boston.
– 2x Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden is returning the Chicago Marathon for the first time since she finished second at the 2010 Chicago Marathon in 2:26:20.
– Chicago is considered the last big dress rehearsal among top Americans like Nell Rojas, Dakotah Linwurm, Sara Vaughn before they all prepare for next February’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando.
Kevin Morris/@KevMoFoto
Here is the men’s elite field:
- Kelvin Kiptum (KEN, 2:01:25)
- Bashir Abdi (BEL, 2:03:36)
- Benson Kipruto (KEN, 2:04:24)
- Dawit Wolde (ETH, 2:04:27)
- Seifu Tura (ETH, 2:04:29)
- Daniel Do Nascimento (BRA, 2:04:51)
- John Korir (KEN, 2:05:01)
- Galen Rupp (USA, 2:06:07)
- Huseydin Mohamed (ETH, 2:05:05)
- Milkesa Mengesha (ETH, 2:05:29)
- Conner Mantz (USA, 2:08:16)
- Yuki Matsumura (JPN, 2:09:01)
- Takashi Ichida (JPN, 2:09:15)
- Kei Katanishi (JPN, 2:09:27)
- Masashi Nonaka (JPN, 2:09:47)
- Matt McDonald (USA, 2:09:49)
- Mick Iacofano (USA, 2:09:55)
- Masaki Tuda (JPN, 2:10:40)
- Mizuki Higashi (JPN, 2:11:04)
- Colin Mickow (USA, 2:11:22)
- Frank Lara (USA, 2:11:32)
- Dan Kremske (USA, 2:14:53)
- Daniel Mateiko (KEN, Debut)
- Wesley Kiptoo (KEN, Debut)
Storylines to watch:
– Kiptum may attempt to break Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon world record of 2:01:09 from the 2022 Berlin Marathon. He ran 2:01:25 to win the 2023 London Marathon in April. The time to beat will depend on what Kipchoge ends up running in Berlin this September.
Back in May, The Nation quoted world record holder and 2x Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge saying, “I always say records are meant to be broken and I hope Kiptum does that in the near future.” Chicago is a flat, fast course. The women’s world record of 2:14:04 was set by Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. The men’s marathon world record has been broken there twice. Steve Jones ran 2:08:05 there to hold the world record from Oct. 21, 1984 to April 20, 1985. Khalid Khannouchi (representing Morocco) ran 2:05:42 to lower the world record by 23 seconds. He broke his own record in 2:05:38 at the 2022 London Marathon after switching allegiance to the United States.
Former marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto holds the Chicago Marathon course record of 2:03:45 from 2013. In 10 years since Kimetto’s course record, Kipchoge’s 2:04:11 from 2014 and Benson Kipruto’s 2:04:24 win last year have been the fastest performances on the course. Chicago’s weather can play a major factor in how fast or slow the race has been won in recent years.
– Benson Kipruto is looking to become the first man to win back-to-back Chicago Marathon titles since the late Sammy Wanjiru won in 2009 and 2010. He was just third in April’s Boston Marathon.
– Olympic bronze medalist Bashir Abdi will make his Chicago Marathon debut and is the only other man in the field with a sub-2:04 personal best. He ran 2:03:47 to win this April’s Rotterdam Marathon. He has been training in Kenya and Ethiopia this summer.
– One guy who could help make this year’s race fast is Brazil’s Daniel Do Nascimento, who took off at last fall’s New York City Marathon at world record pace through the first 10K and led by more than two minutes through the halfway point and then collapsed at Mile 21. He also aggressively pushed the pace during the Tokyo Olympics before dropping out of that race as well. We’ll see how he fares in his first Major since last year’s disaster. He ran 2:07:06 in April’s Hamburg Marathon.
– Among the top Americans in this year’s field is 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Galen Rupp, who ran 2:09:36 for 19th place at the 2022 world championships for his last marathon. He dropped out just after 15 miles in last fall’s New York City Marathon and opted not to run a spring marathon this year. Conner Mantz, whose 2:08:16 for 7th place in Chicago last fall was the fastest U.S. men’s marathon time of 2022, returns.
– Matt McDonald, Mick Iacofano, Colin Mickow and Frank Lara will likely use this as their final marathon in preparation for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
– Wesley Kiptoo, the former NCAA 5000m champion out of Iowa State, has been enjoying early pro success as a member of NAZ Elite and will be making his marathon debut. He has run 60:35 for the half in January’s Houston Half.
Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
