Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2019 October 13 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is highly respected. It is one of the six 'Majors' and thus has a special place in the hearts of many runners. The race commonly invites up to 45,000 runners to participate which makes for a crowded race for anyone not at the front. Despite this it has a superb atmosphere and its top 6 status is much justified.
Chicago Marathon Route
The Chicago Marathon is a very flat race. Fortunately, this does not mean that it is boring. With excellent scenery, superb entertainment along the way and fantastic crowd support this is a must for any serious marathon runner.
The race starts in Grant Park. It then heads into the Loop - a modern business and retail district- before making its way to Lincoln Park and past Lincoln Zoo. If you're lucky you may also catch a glimpse of Wrigley Field home of the Chicago Cubs. Soon, you'll reach the 10 mile point with a hard-to-miss Elvis impersonator on a massive stage. The next two miles take you through the Old Town neighborhood, after which you will cross the river to the half-way mark near the Old St. Patrick's Church.
The inward 13 miles is always tough, but there are still sights to see in this stretch. The next 7 miles takes winds though a number of different areas including Greek Town, Pilsen, Little Italy and Chinatown. After Chinatown you will reach Bronzeville, Chicago's black neighbourhood, at 23 miles. Almost home. On the last 3 miles you will pass through downtown Chicago once more, passing Soldier Field, home to the Chicago Bears, then Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium before the relief and joy of the finish line back in Grant Park.
Some of the world's elite marathon athletes, including past winners of the Chicago Marathon, will be taking part.
Men's field:
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Mo Farah: 2018 Chicago Marathon champion, four-time Olympic gold medalist
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Galen Rupp: 2017 Chicago Marathon champion, 2016 Olympic marathon bronze medalist
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Dickson Chumba: 2016 Chicago Marathon champion
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Lawrence Cherono: 2019 Boston Marathon champion
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Women's field:
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Brigid Kosgei: 2018 Chicago Marathon champion, 2019 London Marathon champion
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Jordan Hasay: U.S. marathon debut record holder
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Betsy Saina: 2018 Paris Marathon champion
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Emma Bates: 2018 USATF Women's Marathon champion
Wheelchair field:
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Daniel Romanchuk: 2018 Chicago Marathon champion
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Manuela Schär: 2018 Chicago Marathon champion
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Aaron Pike: American record holder
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Susannah Scaroni: American record holder
What are the course records?
The Chicago Marathon is famous for being flat and fast. Here are the current records:
Men runners: 2 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds; Dennis Kimetto; Oct. 13, 2013
Women runners: 2 hours, 17 minutes, 18 seconds; Paula Radcliffe; October 13, 2002
Wheelchair men: 1 hour, 26 minutes, 56 seconds; Heinz Frei; Oct. 10, 2010
Wheelchair women: 1 hour, 39 seconds, 15 seconds; Tatyana McFadden; Oct. 8, 2017.
2019 Chicago Marathon Results
Top Men
1. Cherono, Lawrence 2:05:45
2. Debela, Dejene 2:05:46
3. Mengstu, Asefa 2:05:48
4. Karoki, Bedan 2:05:53
5. Abdi, Bashir 2:06:14
6. Tura, Seifu 2:08:35
7. Chumba, Dickson 2:09:11
8. Farah, Mo 2:09:58
9. Riley, Jacob 2:10:36
10. Mock, Jerrell 2:10:37
11. Stinson, Parker 2:10:53
12. Bumbalough, Andrew 2:10:56
13. Oishi, Minato 2:11:02
14. McDonald, Matthew 2:11:10
15. Smith, Scott 2:11:14
16. Gregg, Brendan 2:11:38
17. Droddy, Noah 2:11:42
18. Given, Wilkerson 2:11:44
19. Estrada, Diego 2:11:54
20. Hayakawa, Tsubasa 2:12:25
Top Women
1. Kosgei, Brigid 2:14:04
2. Yeshaneh, Ababel 2:20:51
3. Burka, Gelete 2:20:55
4. Bates, Emma 2:25:27
5. McCormack, Fionnuala 2:26:47
6. Bruce, Stephanie 2:27:47
7. Flanagan, Lindsay 2:28:08
8. Thweatt, Laura 2:29:06
9. Weightman, Lisa 2:29:45
10. Ward, Taylor 2:30:14
11. Perez, Madai 2:31:44
12. Sellers, Sarah 2:31:49
13. Esser, Anke 2:32:06
14. Bergman, Jennifer 2:34:37