Skip to main content

Past Champions Kirui and Chumba and '17 Runner-Up Kosgei Join 41st Bank of America Chicago Marathon Elite Field

A Bank of America Chicago Marathon press release.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that several international running stars are joining the 41st annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon elite athlete competition. Past champions Abel Kirui (KEN) and Dickson Chumba (KEN) lead the charge on the men’s side, and 2017 runner-up Brigid Kosgei (KEN) and two-time podium finisher Birhane Dibaba (ETH) stand out among the women. They will join previously announced global sensations Mo Farah (GBR), Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) and Suguru Osako (JPN).

Note: The previously-announced Chihiro Miyawaki (Japan) is no longer listed in the men's field.

41st Bank of America Chicago Marathon Elite Field Highlights

Chicago, U.S.A., 10/7/18
times listed are best in last three years except where noted
complete elite fields

Women
Roza Dereje Bekele (Ethiopia) - 2:19:17 (Dubai 2018)
Birhane Dibaba (Ethiopia) - 2:19:51 (Tokyo 2018)
Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) - 2:20:13 (London 2018)
Jordan Hasay (U.S.A.) - 2:20:57 (Chicago 2017)
Yuka Ando (Japan) - 2:21:36 (Nagoya 2017)
Amy Cragg (U.S.A.) - 2:21:42 (Tokyo 2018)
Shure Demise Ware (Ethiopia) - 2:22:07 (Tokyo 2018)
Madai Perez (Mexico) - 2:24:44 (Chicago 2017)
Laura Thweatt (U.S.A.) - 2:25:38 (London 2017)
Jessica Draskau Petersson (Denmark) - 2:30:07 (Chicago 2015)
Vianey De La Rosa Rojas (Mexico) - 2:32:01 (Houston 2015)
Alexi Pappas (Greece) - debut - 1:21:53 (San Francisco Half 2015)

Men
Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia) - 2:04:00 (Dubai 2018)
Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) - 2:04:15 (Dubai 2018)
Dickson Chumba (Kenya) - 2:05:30 (Tokyo 2018)
Kenneth Kiprop Kipkemoi (Kenya) - 2:05:44 (Rotterdam 2018)
Galen Rupp (U.S.A.) - 2:06:07 (Prague 2018)
Paul Lonyangata (Kenya) - 2:06:10 (Paris 2017)
Mo Farah (Great Britain) - 2:06:21 (London 2018)
Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) - 2:06:27 (Amsterdam 2016)
Abel Kirui (Kenya) - 2:07:07 (London 2018)
Suguru Osako (Japan) - 2:07:19 (Fukuoka Int'l 2017)
Bedan Karoki (Kenya) - 2:07:41 (London 2017)
Ryo Kiname (Japan) - 2:08:08 (Tokyo 2018)
Yuki Kawauchi (Japan) - 2:09:01 (Gold Coast 2016)
Mohamed Reda El Araby (Morocco) - 2:09:18 (Tokyo 2018)
Stephen Sambu (Kenya) - 2:11:07 (Chicago 2017)
Tsukasa Koyama (Japan) - 2:11:20 (Beppu-Oita 2018)
Yohei Suzuki (Japan) - 2:14:56 (Ehime 2017)
Taku Fujimoto (Japan) - 2:15:30 (Lake Biwa 2018)
Augustine Choge (Kenya) - debut - 59:26 (RAK Half 2017)

Comments

Unknown said…
So excited to see this awesome list of elites for this year's Chicago Marathon! Brett, please let us know if there is anything we can do to help support you and/or your runners. I'm Japanese (speak Japanese too) and live here in Chicago.

Most-Read This Week

Morii Surprises With Second-Ever Japanese Sub-2:10 at Boston

With three sub-2:09 Japanese men in the race and good weather conditions by Boston standards the chances were decent that somebody was going to follow 1981 winner Toshihiko Seko 's 2:09:26 and score a sub-2:10 at the Boston Marathon . But nobody thought it was going to be by a 2:14 amateur. Paris Olympic team member Suguru Osako had taken 3rd in Boston in 2:10:28 in his debut seven years ago, and both he and 2:08 runners Kento Otsu and Ryoma Takeuchi were aiming for spots in the top 10, Otsu after having run a 1:01:43 half marathon PB in February and Takeuchi of a 2:08:40 marathon PB at Hofu last December. A high-level amateur with a 2:14:15 PB who scored a trip to Boston after winning a local race in Japan, Yuma Morii told JRN minutes before the start of the race, "I'm not thinking about time at all. I'm going to make top 10, whatever time it takes." Running Boston for the first time Morii took off with a 4:32 on the downhill opening mile, but after that  Sis

Saturday at Kanaguri and Nittai

Two big meets happened Saturday, one in Kumamoto and the other in Yokohama. At Kumamoto's Kanaguri Memorial Meet , Benard Koech (Kyudenko) turned in the performance of the day with a 13:13.52 meet record to win the men's 5000 m A-heat by just 0.11 seconds over Emmanuel Kipchirchir (SGH). The top four were all under 13:20, with 10000 m national record holder Kazuya Shiojiri (Fujitsu) bouncing back from a DNF at last month's The TEN to take the top Japanese spot at 7th overall in 13:24.57. The B-heat was also decently quick, Shadrack Rono (Subaru) winning in 13:21.55 and Shoya Yonei (JR Higashi Nihon) running a 10-second PB to get under 13:30 for the first time in 13:29.29 for 6th. Paris Olympics marathoner Akira Akasaki (Kyudenko) was 9th in 13:30.62. South Sudan's Abraham Guem (Ami AC) also set a meet record in the men's 1500 m A-heat in 3:38.94. 3000 mSC national record holder Ryuji Miura made his debut with the Subaru corporate team, running 3:39.78 for 2n

Three Japanese Men Running 128th Boston Marathon

Back in Japan's golden years Boston was a big draw for its top talent in the marathon, but for a long time it was off the list of first-choice marathons as the preoccupation shifted to times. That started changing again in 2017 when 5000 m NR holder Suguru Osako made his debut there with a 2:10:28 for 3rd, following in the footsteps of other Waseda University alum who ran well in Boston including two-time winner Toshihiko Seko and the late Tomoyuki Taniguchi . Osako was 3rd at October's Paris Olympic marathon trials, putting him in position to be on the Paris team unless someone runs 2:05:50 or better at February's Osaka Marathon or March's Tokyo Marathon. Having run 2:06:13 in Tokyo last year but beaten by two Japanese men who both went under 2:06, there wasn't really any upside to Osako doing Tokyo this time. Osaka seemed like the logical choice, but like he has for most of his life Osako is following his own motivations and opting to return to the 128th Boston