Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo wins 2025 Chicago Marathon

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 2025 CHICAGO MARATHON 

 MEN'S RACE WINNERS 
🥇 Jacob Kiplimo (🇺🇬) 2:02:23
🥈 Amos Kipruto (🇰🇪) 2:03:54
🥉 Alex Masai (🇰🇪) 2:04:37
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Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo made it two successive marathon podium finishes in a space of just under six months as he blew apart an elite field of world-class runners to win the 2025 Chicago Marathon in the US state of Illinois on Sunday (October 12).

Kiplimo won the race in a time of 2:02:23 to set not only a new personal best time, but also a new Ugandan marathon record. Oh, and he carries away a huge paycheck of 100,000 US dollars (342 million Ugandan shillings) in prize money.

Kenyan pair Amos Kipruto (2:03:54) and Alex Masai (2:04:37) placed second and third, respectively. In fourth was American Conner Mantz, whose time of 2:04:43 shattered the US (2:05:38) and North American (2:05:36) records.

In the women's race, it was an Ethiopian one-two as US-marathons debutant Hawi Feysa won with a time of 2:14:56 and Megertu Alemu (2:17:18) took second. Tanzania's Magdalena Shauri secured third place in a time of 2:18:03.

Dominant Kiplimo cruises to victory

On the eve of Sunday's race, Kiplimo took to social media to let his followers in on his final preparations for his second full marathon appearance. While at it, he was keen to admit that even for a young man of his athletics global status, the nerves inevitably always find a way of creeping in before the big races. But he has a workaround for that.

"When the clock is winding down and anxiety kicks in before the big race, it is critical that I reduce my training and conserve my energy through sleep — a crucial part of every runner’s training journey. Sleep helps my body lock in all the hard work I have done!" he posted on Instagram.

Alongside that message, he posted a series of photos of him jogging on the streets of Chicago with a group of other runners, stretching, having a massage, and then getting ready to have some much-needed shuteye.

The 24-year-old announced his full marathon arrival in April this year in dominant style with a new Ugandan record of 2:03:37 in London. Nearly half-a-year later after his debut and having sat out the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last month, Kiplimo has once again presented noteworthy credentials underlining just why you have to keep your eyes on him in future road races.

Come D-day, the half-marathon world record holder was raring to go alongside the likes of title holder John Korir of Kenya and other seasoned marathoners. It was all systems go as the elite runners, fully charged, powered off from Grant Park.

Five minutes into the race, a leading pack had already established itself, with Korir and Kiplimo tucked nicely in that front group alongside the pacers. At the 30-minute mark, the lead group was still intact, with six runners now being led by two pacemakers.

After the 10km mark, the contest at the front was whittled down to a five-strong one, with Kiplimo and Korir side by the side, shielded by the pacers.

At the one hour mark, Korir, sensing an opportunity, began to peel away from the rest of the leading pack to establish control after the pacemakers had all given way. But it was not a sizeable gulf, and Kiplimo was keeping close tabs with what was unfolding — or not — in front of him.

And not to offer Korir any useful ideas, he soon caught up with the Kenyan.

Stride by stride, almost in a synchronized exhibit of front elite running, the Ugandan raced side by side with the man determined to retain his title after shaking off their three closest challengers — all Kenyans — just over the half-way mark.

From then on, the duo left the curious and eager watching and cheering world guessing when the breakaway moment would arrive. And it came! Perhaps sooner than expected. After one hour and twenty minutes of exhausting running through the streets of the Windy City, Kiplimo was clear.

His sudden change of gears appeared to have broken Korir's spirit, and the Kenyan faded.

Appearing smooth, strong and steady, Kiplimo peeled farther and farther away from his Kenyan challenger, doing well to establish a 12-second gap as he powered ahead — with only the clock to beat and buoyed by the uplifting cheers from the crowds along his route to victory.

From then on, the Ugandan long-distance runner, with no one else within touching distance, was running alone at the front under glorious Chicago sunshine on what is regarded as one of the fastest marathon courses. For its unparalleled flat course and usual cool weather conditions, seven world records have been set at the Chicago Marathon, with the most recent coming at the 2024 edition.

Meanwhile, a quick glance over his shoulder at a corner towards the conclusion offered Kiplimo an idea of just how dominantly he was racing. No cause for closing-stage jitters.

Periodically glancing at his wrist watch to ensure all was going to plan, Kiplimo had looked on course for a world record shakeup, but so supreme and comprehensive was his lead that he could even afford to ease off that eyepopping pace and cruise comfortably to a deserved victory at the 47th edition of this annual marathon.

The Chicago Marathon is a platinum label race — which means it is one of the leading road races around the world as designated by World Athletics.

The late Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum set the current men's marathon world record of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich set the current women's marathon world record of 2:09:56 also in Chicago, but at the 2024 edition.