Will World Records Fall at the 2023 Chicago Marathon?
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This article originally appeared on Womens Running
With Tigst Assefa's astonishing 2:11:53 world record at the September 23 Berlin Marathon still fresh in mind, the elite road racing circuit turns to Chicago this weekend for the next of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Led by the 2023 winner Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, the October 8 Chicago Marathon boasts a deep field of international and American talent are set to converge on the Windy City for a race that, should cool and cloudy pre-race weather conditions hold, could continue the record-setting pace established in Berlin.
Five world records have been set at the Chicago Marathon.
Top Elite Women Racers
Women to Watch
Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich goes for the three-peat; Meanwhile there could be an Emma vs. Emily showdown among the top Americans.
Let's back up to one year ago.
Chepngetich ran the second-fastest marathon in history, 2:14:18, to win her second consecutive Chicago Marathon. She ran under world record pace through 40K and ultimately finished just 14 seconds slower than Brigid Kosgei's mark of 2:14:04, which was also set in Chicago in 2019.
Could Chepngetich possibly challenge Assefa's new world record? That would be a tall order, but one that is not completely out of bounds--Chepngetich did go out guns blazing in her Chicago win last year, cruising to an opening half of 65:44 before the wheels fell off. If she were to maintain that pace, she would have run a 2:11:28 full marathon. The 29-year-old is coming off a third-place, 1:06:18 half marathon in Buenos Aires in late August.
Not to be forgotten is challenger Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, the two-time Olympic champion on the track who can always be counted on to make things interesting. The 30-year-old Ethiopian-born runner won her debut over 26.2 miles at the London Marathon in April (2:18:33)-- despite stopping multiple times to stretch--and beat a loaded field that included reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir.
Hassan's unorthodox racing schedule also included a triple at the World Athletics Championships in August, where she earned the bronze medal in the 1,500m, silver in the 5,000m and 11th place in the 10,000m--a race she led until falling in the final meters before the finish line. In between events, she was seen completing a workout on the track in Budapest--reportedly, to keep her mileage up in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. Track and field has certainly never seen an athlete like Hassan before, and it would be foolish to count her out.
On that note, fellow middle-distance-star-turned-marathoner Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia is also one of the top seeds, with her 2:18:05 personal best. Both Hassan and Dibaba have previously set the world record in the mile, which is now held by Faith Kipyegon of Kenya.
A total of eight women in the field have run 2:20 or faster, including Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:17:43 PB), winner of the 2021 London Marathon and 2019 New York City Marathon, and Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu (2:18:32 PB), who was second in this year's London Marathon.
Top American Women Racing in the 2023 Chicago Marathon
The domestic field will be loaded as well, with 2022 runner-up Emily Sisson returning to the venue where she set an American record of 2:18:29 last October. The 31-year-old who splits time between Flagstaff, Arizona, and Providence, Rhode Island, will have competition from Boulder, Colorado-based Emma Bates, 31, who declared she was in American record shape before placing fifth at the Boston Marathon in 2:22:10, a new personal best. Both women are considered to be top contenders to make the U.S. Olympic team on February 4 at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, Florida.
Other Top American Women Racing in the 2023 Chicago Marathon
Other top Americans include Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel (2:24:42 PB), and Des Linden (2:22:38 PB), the 2018 Boston Marathon champion who is chasing the U.S. masters record of 2:27:47, set by Deena Kastor at the 2015 Chicago Marathon. Nell Rojas (2:24:51 PB), Dakotah Lindwurm (2:25:01) and Sara Vaughn (2:26:23).
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