The Chicago Marathon announced on Wednesday the names of three women who will highlight the field for the 2023 edition of the race: Sifan Hassan, Emily Sisson, and Ruth Chepngetich. The heavily-decorated trio will take the streets of the Windy City on October 8—the fifth stop on the World Marathon Majors circuit this year.
Chicago is known for its lightning-quick course—Brigid Kosegi of Kenya set the women’s world record of 2:14:04 there in 2019—and this year’s stars could add to its history.
Emily Sisson returns to Chicago after setting the American record of 2:18:29 last year, taking 43 seconds off Keira D’Amato’s previous record from earlier in 2022. The runner-up last year, Sisson will seek to become the first American to win the Chicago Marathon since Deena Kastor in 2005.
The reigning champion, Ruth Chepngetich, will aim to defend her title this fall. Last year, she ran the second-fastest marathon of all time, falling short of Kosgei’s world record by 14 seconds in a time of 2:14:18. A blazing-fast half marathon split of 1:05:44 put her ahead of world record pace, before she slowed slightly during the second half. The 28-year-old Kenyan will look to add a third consecutive Chicago title to her resume.
After a stunning marathon debut in London, Sifan Hassan will toe the line in Chicago just six weeks after she plans to compete in the World Athletics Championships in late August. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Hassan attempted an ambitious triple, winning the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters and earning bronze in the 1500 meters. Hassan knows a fall marathon will be a tall task, but it’s something she’s leaning into.
“At the moment, my focus is on the World Championships in Budapest, so my marathon preparation will be very short, but as most people know, I like to be challenged,” Hassan said in a statement from the Chicago Marathon. “I will see how my body responds and how my mind handles it. The good thing is that I have the experience from London so I’m looking forward to Chicago, to see what the marathon can teach me this time.”
The rest of the elite field will be announced at a future date.
Theo Kahler is the news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
