Chicago Marathon 2025: Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo claims victory

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo dominated the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, crossing the finish line in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, 23 seconds to secure his second career marathon win. The 23-year-old, already a standout in track and half-marathon events, held a blistering pace under the world record mark for the first 22 miles before fading slightly over the final stretch, ultimately losing about two minutes. This performance positions Kiplimo as the seventh-fastest marathoner in history, with the current world record of 2:00:35 standing from the late Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum’s legendary run at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

In a historic showing for American distance running, Conner Mantz shattered the U.S. marathon record by finishing fourth overall in 2:04:43, eclipsing Khalid Khannouchi’s 23-year-old mark of 2:05:38 set at the 2002 London Marathon, a time that was once the global benchmark. Mantz’s effort also bested Ryan Hall’s 2:04:58 from the 2011 Boston Marathon, though Boston’s point-to-point, net downhill course disqualifies it from record eligibility. The 28-year-old Mantz, who clocked 2:05:08 at last year’s Boston, has now been the top American finisher in his last six marathons, including a win at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials and an eighth-place finish at the Paris Olympics.

The marathon’s elite fields delivered thrilling races across divisions, with full top-10 results highlighting standout performances in men’s, women’s, and wheelchair categories. As the season progresses, attention turns to the New York City Marathon on November 2, where Olympic champions Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan will make their debuts in the iconic five-borough event, following their recent runs at the Sydney Marathon on August 31.