The second-fastest marathoner in historical past, Kelvin Kiptum, has introduced his fall marathon plans. The 2023 Chicago Marathon revealed on Tuesday morning that Kiptum will make his North American marathon debut on Oct. 8, suspending the extremely anticipated potential conflict towards Eliud Kipchoge, who will seem on the 2023 Berlin Marathon.
Cue the identify drops: the 2023 @BankofAmerica #ChicagoMarathon is stacked. Who’re you most excited to share the #ChicagoStartLine with on October 8? pic.twitter.com/Ew7RyUrlOr
— Chicago Marathon (@ChiMarathon) July 25, 2023
Within the final eight months, Kiptum has emerged as one of many world’s quickest marathoners. In December, he made his marathon debut on the 2022 Valencia Marathon, securing a commanding victory in a outstanding 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 file and got here remarkably near the world file, with a 2:01:25 end.
Regardless of his achievements in London, Kiptum stays comparatively unknown on the key marathon scene. The 23-year-old from Eldoret, Kenya, is self-coached and didn’t enter marathoning from a prolific observe profession like Kipchoge, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.
In June, Kiptum was chosen for Workforce Kenya within the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. Nevertheless, he declined the invitation to concentrate on a fall marathon as a substitute. With Kiptum eyeing both Chicago or Berlin, many anticipated a head-to-head battle between the 2 Kenyan titans in Berlin, famend for its flat and extremely quick course, having been the placement the place the earlier eight males’s marathon world data had been set.
Selecting Chicago, which takes place two weeks after Berlin, clearly signifies Kiptum’s intent to vie for a victory and goal Kipchoge’s world file of two:01:09. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with solely 70 metres of elevation achieve, affords a promising setting.
Eliud Kipchoge says he’s not nervous about Kelvin Kiptum in potential Berlin Marathon conflict
Nevertheless, a win in Chicago gained’t come straightforward, as Kiptum will face off towards top-of-the-line tactical marathoners on the planet 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, who is aware of the Chicago course properly, having gained the race in 2021 and completed as runner-up to Kipruto final fall, can even return. Among the many different elite names within the males’s discipline are Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Belgian 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist Bashir Abdi.
The stacked ladies’s discipline
With defending two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich, London Marathon champion Sifan Hassan and American file holder Emily Sisson already introduced, the organizers revealed the remainder of the ladies’s discipline to problem for the title. Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba, Joyciline Jepkosgei, and U.S. Olympic bronze medallist Molly Seidel are a number of of the massive names becoming a member of the stacked discipline of elite ladies in Chicago.
Seidel’s marathon return
It has been almost two years since Seidel has final accomplished a marathon (fourth place end on the 2021 NYC Marathon), however Chicago will mark her first marathon begin line since April 2022. Over the previous two years, Seidel has struggled with psychological well being and a hip damage. whihc stored her out of the 2022 world championsiips and Nagoya Ladies’s Marathon within the spring. To date this season, Seidel is wholesome and having enjoyable on the paths and roads–most not too long ago competing on the B.A.A.10K in Boston final month and putting second on the Speedgoat 28k path run.
Chepngetich vs. Hassan
Final yr, Chepngetich secured her second consecutive title and got here extremely near breaking Brigid Kosgei’s marathon world file of two:14:04, lacking it by simply 14 seconds. This time round, her aim is to surpass Kosgei’s file and solidify her standing as a three-time champion at Chicago. Sharing her confidence, Chepngetich said, “There’s no higher race on the planet than the Financial institution of America Chicago Marathon.”
To say her third title, Chepngetich must overcome the formidable Hassan, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion from the Netherlands. In April, Hassan made a outstanding marathon debut by profitable the London Marathon. Regardless of stopping to stretch twice throughout the race, she closed a 25-second hole on the leaders and set a brand new Dutch nationwide file of two:18:33. Hassan’s summer time plans embrace returning to the observe for the 5,000m/10,000m double on the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in late August, a mere six weeks earlier than her look in Chicago. Hassan’s distinctive performances after brief preparation durations, akin to her 10,000m world lead simply six weeks after the London Marathon, display her capacity to adapt swiftly.
“I’ll see how my physique responds and the way my thoughts handles it,” said Hassan, acknowledging the challenges forward. “The nice factor is that I’ve expertise from London, so I’m trying ahead to seeing what Chicago can train me this time.”
Jepkosgei desires three
In 4 of her final six marathons, Kenya’s Jepkosgei has constantly carried out at a sub-2:22 stage. At 29 years outdated, she already boasts two Abbott World Marathon Main titles and is now aiming to safe a 3rd in Chicago. Jepkosgei has showcased her capacity to overcome each hilly and flat terrains, triumphing on the London and New York marathons. With Chicago anticipated to be a quick race, she enters because the second-fastest lady within the discipline and presents herself as a darkish horse contender alongside Chepngetich and Hassan.
