FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fast Racing Will be on Display at the 2024 Bank of America
Chicago Marathon
CHICAGO - The professional athlete field for the 46th running of the Bank
of America Chicago Marathon was announced today. It features two of the top
10 fastest women of all time, two of the world's most exciting marathon
stars racing in the United States for the first time and both defending
champions in the wheelchair field.
"We are accustomed to making history at the Bank of America Chicago
Marathon," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "With some of the
fastest athletes in the world joining us this fall, we are hopeful to build
on the tradition of great performances this year."
This year's fastest women's marathoner, Sutume Kebede of Ethiopia, leads
the 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 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," said 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. Kiptum 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.
Kebede will face the fourth fastest woman in history, Ruth Chepngetich of
Kenya. Chepngetich, the 2021 and 2022 Chicago champion, was runner up here
last year. Also among the top contenders is fellow Kenyan Joyciline
Jepkosgei, a TCS London and TCS New York City Marathon Champion who was
fourth in the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
The second and third fastest American women of all time will join the three
East African stars on the start line. Former American marathon record
holder Keira D'Amato, who has been part of the broadcast team for the past
two years, will return to the start line this year. Betsy Saina, who placed
fifth in this year's Tokyo Marathon, will look to record her first Chicago
finish after dropping out of the race in 2019 due to illness.
"I have a special history with the Chicago Marathon," said D'Amato who
finished fourth here in 2021. "The past two years I've run my mouth in the
lead vehicle for NBC. I'm excited to get back to running my legs."
Other American contenders include Sara Hall and Annie Frisbie, both top 10
finishers at the 2024 U.S. Olympics Team Trials - Marathon, and Emma Bates,
the 2021 Chicago runner-up.
Leading the way in the men's field is Amos Kipruto of Kenya. Having reached
the podium in three Abbott World Marathon Majors including a victory in the
2022 TCS London Marathon, Kipruto now has his sights set on Chicago and
like Kebede, says he will also run in honor of Kiptum.
"My goal is to try to run a personal best," said Kipruto, who trains with
2022 Chicago winner Benson Kipruto. "I want to show the world that I am
still the kind of athlete who is capable of winning a major like Chicago."
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 in front
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 race
also marks the marathon debut of Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya. Ebenyo, the 2023
World Championships silver medalist in the 10,000m, won the Generali Berlin
Half Marathon earlier this year.
The American contenders feature four of the top 10 finishers at the 2024
U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon: CJ Albertson, Zach Panning, Nathan
Martin and Reed Fischer. Martin won this year's Bank of America Shamrock
Shuffle in Chicago. Panning was the second American finisher at the 2022
Chicago Marathon.
"After a heartbreaking Olympic Trials I knew I wanted to run fast this
fall. I can't think of a better place to do that than the fastest marathon
course in the world," said Panning who led most of the Trials before fading
to a sixth-place finish. "Chicago feels like home. It's where I debuted in
the marathon and it's where I ran my personal best. This year I'm coming to
the race with big goals, hoping to improve on that PB and compete against
many of the best in the world."
Defending champions in the wheelchair division Marcel Hug and Catherine
Debrunner will return to attempt to repeat their victories and better the
course records they set in 2023. Hug, known as the Swiss Silver Bullet,
will be chasing his fifth Chicago title. Hug will face two top Americans:
familiar rival Daniel Romanchuk, a three-time Chicago winner, and Aaron
Pike, who will be making his 15th Chicago start.
"The Chicago Marathon has been a permanent fixture in my race calendar for
years," said Hug, a four-time Abbott World Marathon Majors series champion.
"The energy of the city and the enthusiasm of the spectators are unique.
I'm looking forward to taking on the challenge and trying to defend my
title again."
"I feel honored to return to the Chicago Marathon as defending champion,"
said Debrunner, who holds the world record for the marathon in the women's
wheelchair division. "The crowd last year was amazing, and I am confident
it will be the same this year."
Debrunner, of Switzerland, looks to repeat following last year's
down-to-the-wire battle with Susannah Scaroni of the United States.
Scaroni, the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion and Manuela
Schär, the 2018 champion, are also set to return in what promises to be
another exciting race.
More than 50,000 participants will take part in the 46th edition of the
Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 13, 2024. For the
latest event updates, registered participants and community members are
encouraged to visit the Event FAQ which is available at
chicagomarathon.com.
Bank of America Chicago Marathon Professional Field - Women's Open Division
Ruth Chepngetich KEN 2:14:18 (Chicago 2022)
Sutume Kebede ETH 2:15:55 (Tokyo 2024)
Joyciline Jepkosgei KEN 2:16:24 (London 2024)
Degitu Azimeraw ETH 2:17:58 (London 2021)
Ashete Bekere Dido ETH 2:17:58 (Tokyo 2022)
Hiwot Gebrekidan ETH 2:17:59 (Valencia 2023)
Irine Cheptai KEN 2:18:22 (Hamburg 2024)
Keira D'Amato USA 2:19:12 (Houston 2022)
Betsy Saina USA 2:19:17 (Tokyo 2024)
Dorcas Tuitoek KEN 2:20:02 (Amsterdam 2023)
Mary Ngugi-Cooper KEN 2:20:22 (London 2022)
Sara Hall USA 2:20:32 (Chandler 2020)
Emma Bates USA 2:22:10 (Boston 2022)
Buze Diriba ETH 2:23:11 (Toronto 2023)
Sara Vaughn USA 2:23:24 (Chicago 2023)
Susanna Sullivan USA 2:24:27 (London 2023)
Gabi Rooker USA 2:24:35 (Chicago 2023)
Lindsay Flanagan USA 2:24:43 (Gold Coast 2022)
Nell Rojas USA 2:24:51 (Boston 2023)
Stacey Ndiwa KEN 2:25:29 (Los Angeles 2024)
Laura Thweatt USA 2:25:38 (London 2017)
Lauren Hagans USA 2:25:56 (Duluth 2023)
Annie Frisbie USA 2:26:18 (New York 2021)
Jackie Gaughan USA 2:27:08 (Berlin 2023)
Dominique Scott RSA 2:27:31 (Chicago 2023)
Diane Nukuri USA 2:27:50 (London 2015)
Makena Morley USA 2:30:25 (Los Angeles 2024)
Anne Marie Blaney USA 2:30:43 (Orlando 2024)
Andrea Pomaranski USA 2:31:06 (Houston 2023)
Amy Davis-Green USA 2:33:09 (Orlando 2024)
Aubrey Frentheway USA Debut
Bank of America Chicago Marathon Professional Field - Women's Wheelchair
Division
Susannah Scaroni USA 1:27:31 (Duluth 2022)
Manuela Schär SUI 1:28:17 (Boston 2017)
Tatyana McFadden USA 1:31:30 (Duluth 2019)
Jenna Fesemyer USA 1:33:50 (Duluth 2022)
Catherine Debrunner SUI 1:34:16 (Berlin 2023) World Record
Nikita Den Boer NED 1:38:16 (Tokyo 2021)
Eden Rainbow-Cooper GBR 1:35:11 (Boston 2024)
Tian Yajuan CHN 1:39:39 (Dubai 2024)
Vanessa De Souza BRA 1:40:21 (Seville 2020)
Yen Hoang USA 1:47:29 (London 2022)
Bank of America Chicago Marathon Professional Field - Men's Open Division
Amos Kipruto KEN 2:03:13 (Tokyo 2022)
Vincent Ngetich KEN 2:03:13 (Berlin 2023)
Dawit Wolde ETH 2:03:48 (Valencia 2023)
Amdework Walelegn ETH 2:04:50 (Rotterdam 2024)
John Korir KEN 2:05:01 (Chicago 2022)
Huseydin Mohamed Esa ETH 2:05:05 (Amsterdam 2022)
Jemal Yimer ETH 2:06:08 (Seoul 2024)
Tatsuya Maruyama JPN 2:07:50 (Berlin 2022)
Yuichi Yasui JPN 2:08:48 (Beppu 2023)
Jorge Castelblanco PAN 2:09:24 (Seville 2024)
Zach Panning USA 2:09:28 (Chicago 2022)
Brian Shrader USA 2:09:46 (Chicago 2023)
CJ Albertson USA 2:09:53 (Boston 2024)
Tomoki Yoshioka JPN 2:10:03 (Beppu 2024)
Reed Fischer USA 2:10:34 (Boston 2022)
Nathan Martin USA 2:10:45 (Duluth 2023)
Colin Mickow USA 2:11:22 (Chandler 2020)
Kevin Salvano USA 2:11:26 (Chicago 2023)
Jacob Thomson USA 2:11:40 (Gold Coast 2023)
Turner Wiley USA 2:11:59 (Chicago 2022)
JP Flavin USA 2:13:27 (Boston 2023)
Charlie Sweeney USA 2:13:41 (Sacramento 2023)
Ben Kendell USA 2:15:49 (Sacramento 2022)
Phil Migas CAN 2:15:53 (Hamburg 2024)
Daniel Ebenyo KEN Debut
Alex Maier USA Debut
Isai Rodriguez USA Debut
Bank of America Chicago Marathon Professional Field - Men's Wheelchair
Division
Marcel Hug SUI 1:17:47 (Oita 2021) World Record
Aaron Pike USA 1:20:02 (Duluth 2022)
Johnboy Smith GBR 1:20:05 (Duluth 2022)
Kota Hokinoue JPN 1:20:54 (Seoul 2013)
Daniel Romanchuk USA 1:21:36 (Boston 2019)
Rafael Botello Jimenez ESP 1:22:09 (Boston 2017)
Patrick Monahan IRL 1:22:23 (Duluth 2019)
Luo Xingchuan CHN 1:23:49 (Chengdu 2023)
Sho Watanabe JPN 1:24:00 (Oita 2019)
Simon Lawson GBR 1:25:06 (Boston 2017)
Ma Zhuo CHN 1:25:10 (Chengdu 2023)
Hiroki Nishida JPN 1:20:28 (Boston 2017)
Brian Siemann USA 1:26:46 (Boston 2017)
Hu Yang CHN 1:32:15 (Chengdu 2023)
Rob Smith GBR 1:55:51 (Dubai 2017)
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes thousands of participants
from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a world-class
professional field, top regional and Masters runners, race veterans, debut
marathoners and charity participants. The race's iconic course takes
participants through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and
cultural tour of Chicago. The 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a
member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant
Park on Sunday, October 13, 2024. In advance of the race, a three-day
Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention
Center on Thursday, October 10, Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October
12. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go to
chicagomarathon.com.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other
important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for
news email alerts.
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