Ethiopia News: Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa defended her women’s title at the Chicago Marathon 2026 on 11 October in a personal best of 2:13:33, while Kenya’s Amos Kipruto won the men’s race in 2:01:09, as Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes took all six podium places in the two elite races.
Key facts
- Hawi Feysa (Ethiopia) won in 2:13:33, ahead of Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi (2:14:07) and Brigid Kosgei (2:14:55).
- Amos Kipruto (Kenya) won the men’s race in 2:01:09, a personal best by 30 seconds, after finishing third in 2024 and second in 2025.
- Ethiopians Tadese Takele Bikila (2:02:56) and Milkesa Mengesha (2:03:46) completed the men’s podium.
- Kipruto’s time was the second-fastest winning mark in Chicago history, 34 seconds outside Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 course record of 2:00:35.
How did Hawi Feysa retain her title?
Patience won it. Four women were within a second of each other at halfway, reached in 1:06:06, and Feysa and Lokedi were still level at 40 kilometres in 2:06:43, according to splits published by Run247. Feysa then covered the last 2.195 kilometres in 6:50 and pulled clear in the final mile.
Speaking through a translator, she told the Chicago Sun-Times she had felt confident of winning from around 35 kilometres. “It means everything to come here and win again,” Feysa said. Her time was 1 minute 24 seconds faster than her 2025 winning run, Run247 reported.
Lokedi, a former Boston and New York City champion, finished 34 seconds back. Kenya filled the next four places, with Kosgei third, Mary Ngugi-Cooper fourth in 2:17:23 and Joan Jepkosgei Kilimo fifth.
Kipruto’s long wait ends
For Kipruto, Chicago had been a near miss twice. He made his move at about 32 kilometres, The Standard reported, and ran 14:30 and 14:33 for the two 5-kilometre segments from 30 to 40 kilometres. Defending champion Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda could not respond and faded to fourth in 2:04:18.
“It was either win or die for me, because I was here to fight for the podium,” Kipruto told NBC 5 Chicago. His winning margin was 1 minute 47 seconds.
Kenyan President William Ruto saluted “Team Kenya for making us proud,” while Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen linked the win to Kenya’s hosting of the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
Chicago Marathon 2026 results: Ethiopia and Kenya side by side
| Race | Position | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 1 | Amos Kipruto | Kenya | 2:01:09 |
| Men | 2 | Tadese Takele Bikila | Ethiopia | 2:02:56 |
| Men | 3 | Milkesa Mengesha | Ethiopia | 2:03:46 |
| Men | 5 | Boki Diriba | Ethiopia | 2:05:01 |
| Women | 1 | Hawi Feysa | Ethiopia | 2:13:33 |
| Women | 2 | Sharon Lokedi | Kenya | 2:14:07 |
| Women | 3 | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya | 2:14:55 |
| Women | 4 | Mary Ngugi-Cooper | Kenya | 2:17:23 |
The split is telling. Ethiopia took three of the top five men’s places and the women’s title; Kenya took the men’s title and four of the top five women’s places. Both countries also had runners finish in the second half of the top ten, according to the LetsRun results list.
Why the result matters for Addis Ababa and Nairobi
Prize money and appearance fees from big-city marathons feed training camps in Ethiopia’s highlands and Kenya’s Rift Valley. A title in Chicago, part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors series, also sets an athlete’s value for the next contract. Ethiopia joined BRICS as a full member in January 2024, and few of its exports carry the national name as visibly as its distance runners.
Results across the field also corrected some early reports. At least one early report listed Kosgei at 2:15:55; the results tables published by LetsRun and Run247 show 2:14:55.
Our view: Feysa’s second straight Chicago win, with a faster time, deserves as much attention as Kipruto’s fast clock. Ethiopian women’s marathoning is producing champions who win tactical races, and that consistency is harder to build than a single quick day.
The weekend’s other headline came from Melbourne, where Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, 41, won in a race record 2:09:10 on the same day. More results are on our Sport and Kenya pages, and our report on the BRICS traditional games in Ahmedabad covers a different side of the bloc’s sport.
FAQ
Who won the Chicago Marathon 2026?
Amos Kipruto of Kenya won the men’s race in 2:01:09 and Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia won the women’s race in 2:13:33 on 11 October 2026.
Did anyone break the course record?
No elite running course record fell. Kipruto finished 34 seconds outside Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 from 2023. In the wheelchair races, Marcel Hug set a course record and Catherine Debrunner set a world record, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Sources: Run247; LetsRun results; Chicago Sun-Times; The Standard (Kenya); NBC Sports.
