Sports
2024 Chicago Marathon: Elite Wins and Heat on the Course
The event drew 55,000 runners with historic elite times, wheelchair records, and rising temperatures.
The Chicago Marathon brought together 55,000 finishers alongside world-class elite performances and new wheelchair records. Throughout the open field, rising midday temperatures challenged runners, leading to significant split differences.
The Chicago Marathon brought together approximately 55,000 runners for one of the most anticipated weekends on the international road racing calendar. Renowned for its flat, fast course and its appeal to runners chasing personal bests, this year's race delivered outstanding performances among the professionals while posing a serious weather challenge for the rest of the field.
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Impressive Victories and Fast Times in the Elite Field
In the men's elite division, victory went to Kenya's Amos Kipruto, who broke the tape in 2:01:09. His winning time stands as the second-fastest marathon ever run on American soil, trailing only the world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Early on, the lead pack set an aggressive pace flirting with the two-hour barrier before settling into a steady rhythm in the final stretch.
In the women's race, Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa captured the top spot on the podium with a stellar time of 2:13:33. The competition was exceptionally fast: Kenya's Sharon Lokedi finished as runner-up in 2:14:07, and Brigid Kosgei rounded out the podium in third with 2:14:55. As a result, the entire women's top three finished under the 2:15:00 mark.
Swiss Dominance and Brazilian Highlights in the Wheelchair Division
The wheelchair division once again produced historic milestones along the streets of Chicago. Switzerland's Catherine Debrunner won the women's division in 1:33:16, shaving roughly a minute off her own world record. In the men's race, her compatriot Marcel Hug secured his seventh Chicago victory, setting a new course record in the process.
Brazilian athletics was prominently represented by Vanessa Cristina de Souza. She completed the 26.2-mile course in fifth place overall in the women's wheelchair division with a time of 1:47:14, earning a coveted top-five finish at the World Marathon Major.
Midday Heat and Slowing Paces Across the Open Field
Despite favorable conditions early in the morning, gradually climbing temperatures took a heavy toll on the broader field. The race kicked off around 59°F to 61°F (15°C to 16°C), but official temperatures reached 71°F (21.7°C) by noon and nearly 75°F (24°C) by mid-afternoon. Under cloudless skies and direct sun, runners reported heat indexes reaching as high as 79°F (26°C).
Race officials raised event condition alert levels along the route, advising participants to slow their pace for safety. The weather's impact was clear in the data: an analysis by Marathon Handbook revealed that only 8.4% of runners managed a negative split (running the second half faster than the first). The median time difference between the first and second halves of the race was nearly 14 minutes.
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