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Elite runners target the Chicago Marathon for record attempts because of the often-favorable weather and the flat course.
ILLUSTRATION BY SPORTICO, PHOTO BY MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES |
In his second-ever marathon, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo won the men’s pro race at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, covering the 26.2 miles in 2:02:23. This was a personal best time by more than a minute for Kiplimo, who’s sponsored by Nike, and the seventh-fastest men’s marathon time ever.
It was also the second-fastest time ever run in Chicago behind the late Kelvin Kiptum, who won the 2023 Chicago Marathon in a world-record 2:00:35.
Kenyan Amos Kipruto, sponsored by Adidas, finished in second in an unofficial 2:03:52, followed by countryman Alex Masai, a Nike athlete, in 2:04:37. American Conner Mantz, also sponsored by Nike, finished fourth in 2:04:43, breaking Khalid Khannouchi’s American men’s marathon record of 2:05:38.
“[Breaking the American men’s marathon record] was a great feeling,” Mantz said on the NBC5 Chicago broadcast after the race. “Those last few miles were really tough. Even with a few miles to go, I started doing the math about what pace I needed [to maintain to get the record]. Fortunately I got to work with Alex Masai those last 10 miles. … Unfortunately, I couldn’t beat him, but he got third place, first podium finish, big PR for him.”
Kiplimo will take home $100,000 for his win. Kipruto takes $75,000 for second place, and Masai earns $50,000. Mantz will get $30,000 for his fourth-place finish plus an additional $15,000 in prize money for being the top American finisher.
Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa, sponsored by Adidas, won the women’s pro race at the 47th Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:14:56. Feysa ran side-by-side with Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania through the first 25 kilometers, but by the 30K mark, Feysa had opened up about a 10-second gap on the rest of the field. The Ethiopian continued to add to her lead, crossing the line two-plus minutes faster than countrywoman Megertu Alemu, who got second in 2:17:18. Shauri rounds out the women’s podium with a 2:18:03 finish.
“Winning here has been amazing. I worked really hard, I trained really hard to have this victory,” Feysa said after the race through a translator. “My coach has been extremely instrumental in this training block.He has given me really hard training that has helped me.”
Feysa earned $100,000 for her win, with $75,000 and $50,000 going to Alemu and Shauri, respectively, for their finishes.
Natosha Rogers was the top U.S. woman, finishing sixth overall in 2:23:28, a personal-best time. The 34-year-old Rogers was followed by fellow Americans Dakotah Popehn and Gabi Rooker in seventh and eighth. While they miss out on overall prize money, which only goes to the top five men’s and women’s finishers, the three women will take home $15,000, $12,000 and $10,000 for their finishes as the top Americans.
“Every ounce of everything you have goes into this to get to the start line, let alone the finish line, let alone finish as top American,” Rogers, who is sponsored by Puma, said post-race. “So much of it is mental, mind over matter.”
In the men’s wheelchair race, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug opened up a 93-second lead by the halfway mark and didn’t let up, breaking the tape in 1:23:20, four minutes and a full mile ahead of Great Britain’s David Weir in second. Hug’s time was less than a minute off of his Chicago Marathon course record of 1:22:37, set in 2023.
“It was pretty tough, chasing for a course record,” Hug said after the race. “I was trying very hard, and I went all in. The last 10K, I was too tired.”
This was Hug’s fourth straight Chicago Marathon win and his sixth ever, making him the most decorated men’s wheelchair racer in Chicago Marathon history. “That was not in my mind, to be honest, but to beat this record is incredible,” he said. “It really means a lot to me.”
After leading for the duration of the race, American Susannah Scaroni won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:38:14, her second Chicago Marathon victory. Behind her, Switzerland’s Manuela Schär and American Tatyana McFadden crossed the line in 1:39:03 and 1:39:04 for second and third, respectively, in a sprint finish.
Scaroni struggled in last year’s race with a flat tire at mile 3, so this year’s win provided redemption. “When I got to mile 3 today, I felt like, ‘We’re making it!’” Scaroni said post-race.
Hug and Scaroni will each receive $40,000 in prize money for their wins. Weir and Schär each earn $30,000 for second. Third through sixth places also take home prize money.
The total prize purse for the 2025 Chicago Marathon is $908,000, up from $890,000 in 2023 but down from $913,000 in 2024. This year, the winners of the Masters men’s and women’s divisions receive $2,000 each; in 2024, the second and third place masters runners took home a prize bonus as well, something not given this year. (The Chicago Marathon did not return an email request for comment on the reduction in prize money.)
Additionally, the top five runners receive points toward the Abbott World Marathon Majors elite series. At the end of the cycle, which ends with the New York City Marathon next month, the three runners with the most points will receive a prize bonus.
- BETTE CANTER
