It’s Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and which means one factor to marathon followers: it’s time for the 2023 Financial institution of America Chicago Marathon. This yr’s elite subject might be one to recollect, with the good Sifan Hassan competing in her second profession marathon in opposition to the 2019 world champion and the third-fastest marathoner in historical past, Ruth Chepngetich. The lads’s facet is simply as thrilling, with the comparatively unknown Kelvin Kiptum on the verge of greatness, focusing on Eliud Kipchoge’s world document of two:01:09 on Sunday.
The younger star
At 23 and with solely two profession marathons to his title, Kiptum has shortly established himself as among the finest distance runners on the earth. Though, regardless of his achievements in London, he stays comparatively unknown on the key marathon scene. Kiptum is self-coached and didn’t enter marathoning from a prolific monitor profession like Kipchoge, Mo Farah, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.
Kiptum made his marathon debut final December on the 2022 Valencia Marathon, taking a commanding victory in 2:01:53, the quickest debut in historical past. He continued his dominance on the 2023 London Marathon, the place he shattered Kipchoge’s course document and got here inside 16 seconds of the world document, with a 2:01:25 end.
In June, Kiptum was chosen for Group Kenya within the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. Nonetheless, he declined the invitation to give attention to a fall marathon as an alternative. He settled on Chicago, which is broadly considered the quickest marathon main in North America.
In a pre-race interview with Olympics.com, Kiptum mentioned he’s well-trained for the Chicago course and believes he can change into the primary man in historical past to run a 2:00 flat on Sunday. Kiptum’s alternative of Chicago over the opposite fall majors, Berlin and NYC, signifies his eagerness to chase the world document. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with solely 70 meters of elevation achieve, makes it a really perfect setting.
Kiptum’s competitors
If Kiptum intends to hit the midway mark round 60 minutes, there should not many within the subject who can sustain with him. The 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist, Bashir Abdi, is listed because the second quickest athlete in Chicago with a private finest of two:03:36. Abdi completed fifth right here in 2019 and might be seeking to enhance on his time of two:06:14.
Kiptum will even face off in opposition to among the finest tactical marathoners on the earth and the reigning champion, Benson Kipruto. Kipruto comes off a second-place end on the 2023 Boston Marathon, the place he was runner-up to his coaching accomplice, Evans Chebet. Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura is aware of the Chicago course properly, having gained the race in 2021 and completed as runner-up to Kipruto final fall. If the race turns into a tactical affair, it’s onerous to look previous these two because the favourites however they don’t fairly have the sub-2:02 velocity to hold with Kiptum early.
American males chase Olympic normal
One other entertaining race inside the race to observe would be the battle between high People Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Leonard Korir as they purpose to attain the 2024 Olympic marathon normal of two:08:10. The one American to interrupt that mark since 2020 is Rupp, who did so on the 2021 Chicago Marathon the place he completed second. At the moment, no American males have met the Olympic qualifying mark for Paris, and the U.S. Marathon Trials are simply 4 months away in February 2024.
There aren’t any Canadian males within the elite subject this yr. Though Canada’s Rory Linkletter would be the girls’s elite subject.
Tips on how to watch
The 2023 Chicago Marathon might be streamed on FloTrack, starting at 8:30 a.m. E.T. Sunday; you’ll be able to join a FloTrack account right here.
