World cross country champion Daniel Ebenyo will be making his marathon debut at this year’s Chicago Marathon, set for October 13.
Ebenyo, who is also the reigning World Championships 10,000m silver medallist, won the Generali Berlin Half Marathon earlier this year but will be attempting a full marathon for the first time.
He is among a strong field of four elite Kenyan male athletes registered for the annual race.
Another elite athlete entered for the race is Amos Kipruto, who has reached the podium in three Abbott World Marathon majors, including a victory in the 2022 TCS London Marathon.
Kipruto will have to fend off Vincent Ngetich, also of Kenya, who has an identical personal best of 2:03:13 and is seeking his first major victory.
Ngetich placed second at the 2023 BMW Berlin Marathon, five places ahead of Kipruto, and third at this year’s Tokyo Marathon. This will be the first time either Kipruto or Ngetich has competed in the United States.
The other Kenyan in the race is John Korir. “My goal is to try to run a personal best,” Kipruto, who trains with 2022 Chicago winner Benson Kipruto, was quoted on the Chicago Marathon website. “I want to show the world that I am still the kind of athlete who is capable of winning a major like Chicago.”
In the women’s race, six Kenyan athletes have registered.
Leading the charge is Ruth Chepngetich, the 2021 and 2022 Chicago champion.
Chepngetich, the fourth fastest woman over the marathon distance, was the runner-up in last year’s race.
Also among the top contenders is fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei, a TCS London and TCS New York City Marathon Champion, who finished fourth in the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
The other Kenyan women entered in the race are Irine Cheptai, Dorcas Tuitoek, Mary Ngugi-Cooper, and Stacey Ndiwa.
This year’s fastest women’s marathoner, Sutume Kebede of Ethiopia, leads the elite women’s field.
Her 2:15:55 victory in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon makes her the eighth-fastest woman of all time. That performance came just two months after Kebede set the record for the fastest half marathon ever completed in the United States at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in January, with her winning time of 1:04:37.
“I am extremely happy to come back to Chicago and run on a course that has proven to be very fast,” remarked Kebede, who had a disappointing finish in the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
“After seeing what my teammate Kelvin Kiptum did last year, I want to come to Chicago to do something great.”
Kebede is part of a training group that once included the late Kelvin Kiptum, who was killed in a car crash this past February, just four months after setting the marathon world record at the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
More than 50,000 participants from around the world have registered for the race, which will go through the heart of downtown Chicago.
Each individual is motivated by their own reasons, running for themselves, their family members, and their communities. These inspiring stories make each year’s race special and this year will be no different.
Last year’s marathon will be remembered as a record-setting day, headlined by Kelvin Kiptum’s stunning men’s marathon world record and four new course records.
The excitement of the day inspired runners from around the world to return to the streets of Chicago for a chance to set their own records, with more than 120,000 individuals applying for a spot in this year’s race.
Those who secured an entry will join another record-breaking field, with 50,000 participants expected to cross the finish line in Grant Park on race day.
