Chepngetich to make Chicago Marathon debut

World marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich will make her Bank of America Chicago Marathon debut on October 10, organisers announced on Tuesday.

She will join some of the world’s top elite runners including Ethiopians Getaneh Molla and Seifu Tura and the USA’s Keira D’Amato, Emma Bates, Chris Derrick, Sara Hall and Lindsay Flanagan.

The 27-year-old made a splash when she set the world record in the half marathon this spring, clocking 1:04:02 in Istanbul, and she holds a marathon personal best of 2:17:08, making her the fourth fastest woman in history.

D’Amato and Bates join Hall – who finished second in last year’s London Marathon ahead of Chepngetich – as the top US athletes in the field.

“I have never raced in the States and making my debut in such a great race like the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is more than a dream to me,” said Chepngetich. “I will give all myself trying to run as fast as possible. The presence of such a wonderful elite field will boost me.”

Top athletes in the men’s elite field include two-time Olympic medallist Rupp, 2019 Dubai Marathon champion Molla, 2018 Valencia Marathon runner-up Hassan El Abbassi of Bahrain and fourth-place finisher at the 2021 Milan Marathon, Seifu Tura.

The following four athletes boast 2:05 personal bests: Shifera Tamru, Joel Kimurer, Eric Kiptanui and Laban Korir.

-Material sourced from worldathletics.org