# Chicago Marathon 2026 Elite Field Preview

An episode of [The Running Story | Marathon Handbook News](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/6782940461), 25 Jul 2026, 33 min.

Audio: https://media.transistor.fm/1659933a/9eabc23b.mp3

Jacob Kiplimo returns to defend his Chicago Marathon title, but can he break two hours without Kejelcha and Sawe pushing him like they did in London? Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth break down the full 2026 Chicago Marathon elite field: the men's race, the wide-open women's field led by Brigid Kosgei and dark horse Sharon Lokedi, the American record chases on both sides, Galen Rupp's masters record bid, and their bold winner predictions. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: previewing the 2026 Chicago Marathon elite fields 1:05 Can Jacob Kiplimo run sub-2 in Chicago? 3:10 Men's elite field breakdown (Kiprotich, Mengesha, Mateiko, Takele) 5:15 The Nike Alphafly 4 shoe story 6:58 American men's record chase: Hicks, Maury, Clayton Young 9:10 Galen Rupp's masters record bid 10:13 Women's elite field: Brigid Kosgei headlines 11:00 Why Sharon Lokedi could be the real favorite 14:30 Hellen Obiri, Ruth Chepngetich and the tainted world record 16:30 American women: Sarah Hall, Des Linden chase the masters record 19:41 Susanna Sullivan and the top American storylines 20:57 Predictions: women's race winner 22:57 Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub Shop Marathon Handbook merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com 👉 Tell us in the comments: does Kiplimo run sub-2, and who wins the women's race?

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