Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa Look to Defend Their Crowns in a Historic Chicago Marathon

On October 11th, the streets of Chicago will witness something that runners rarely see: six men on the same starting line who have already broken the 2:04 barrier. Jacob Kiplimo and Hawi Feysa arrive as defending champions, but they won't have it easy. Brigid Kosgei returns to the circuit that saw her shine in 2019, and Sharon Lokedi—fresh winner of Boston 2026—makes her debut in one of the fastest races on the global calendar. If you're passionate about running, this is no ordinary date: it's the kind of event that redefines what's possible over 42.195 km.

The Context

The Chicago Marathon is one of six World Marathon Majors, alongside Boston, London, Berlin, New York, and Tokyo. What sets Chicago apart from the rest is its course: practically flat, with smooth turns and historically favorable October weather. That combination of factors—added to an elite field carefully assembled by the race organizers—has made this race fertile ground for records. It's no coincidence that Eliud Kipchoge ran his historic 2:00:35 there in 2022, or that Kosgei set the women's world record in 2019 (2:14:04, which stood until Ruth Chepngetich lowered it years later in the same city).

That six men under 2:04 share a starting line is a statement of intent: the organizers are betting on an aggressive race pace from kilometer zero, with pacemakers designed to sustain an attack on the course record. Kiplimo, with his speed inherited from middle-distance running, and Feysa, defending her women's crown alongside Kosgei and Lokedi, make up a roster that mixes experience, hunger for redemption, and extremely high-level debutantes. It's the kind of depth you only see when an organization decides to invest in building history, not just filling an invite quota.

What Science Says

Running a marathon at that level isn't just a matter of talent: it's precision physiology. Research on pacing (the management of race rhythm) shows that elite runners are remarkably more consistent than amateurs, and pacing strategies differ between men and women throughout the race—something documented in reviews on pacing in marathons and half-marathons (Nikolaidis et al., 2019; Cuk et al., 2024). Sustaining a pace under 2:55 min/km for more than two hours demands nearly perfect running economy and a brutal capacity to tolerate fatigue without technique breaking down.

That's where another key factor comes in: nutrition. Athletes at this level rely on meticulously calibrated carbohydrate supplementation strategies to sustain energy output throughout the entire course—an area that recent reviews on elite endurance nutrition have detailed with precision (Cao et al., 2025). Moreover, the focus on personalized nutrition—tailored to each athlete's individual needs based on their physiology, history, and race context—has become a central tool for squeezing the last margin of performance in elite sport (Sutehall & Pitsiladis, 2025).

There's also a strength foundation behind these times. Recent evidence confirms that strength training improves the "durability" of running economy—that is, the ability to maintain efficient technique even when the body is already fatigued in the final kilometers (Zanini et al., 2025). That explains why runners like Kiplimo, with a track background, can sustain high speeds even when fatigue hits after kilometer 30.

What It Means for You

You're not going to run at 2:55 min/km, but the principles that support these athletes do apply to your training:

• Work your pacing with discipline. Rhythm consistency—not heroic surges—is what sets apart those who finish strong. Practice in your long runs by running the final kilometers at the same pace (or faster) than the first ones.
• Don't underestimate strength. Two weekly sessions of strength work (squats, lunges, unilateral exercises) improve your running economy and your resistance to fatigue in the final stretches.
• Test your nutrition in training, never on race day. Figuring out how many grams of carbohydrate per hour your gut tolerates is months of work, not a last-week project.
• Watch the race as a reference, not a comparison. Seeing Kiplimo, Feysa, Kosgei, and Lokedi compete at the human limit is inspiring, but your race is won against your own clock and your own story.

References

• Nikolaidis PT, Ćuk I, Knechtle B. "Pacing of Women and Men in Half-Marathon and Marathon Races." Medicina (Kaunas), 2019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646638/
• Cuk I, Markovic S, Weiss K. "Running Variability in Marathon-Evaluation of the Pacing Variables." Medicina (Kaunas), 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38399506/
• Cao W, He Y, Fu R. "A Review of Carbohydrate Supplementation Approaches and Strategies for Optimizing Performance in Elite Long-Distance Endurance." Nutrients, 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40077786/
• Sutehall S, Pitsiladis Y. "Personalized Nutrition for the En