Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa Defends Chicago Marathon Title with Personal Best

Addis Ababa, October 11, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopian long-distance runner Hawi Feysa has successfully defended her women’s title at the 2026 Chicago Marathon, delivering a personal-best performance of 2:13:33 to secure back-to-back victories in one of the world’s premier road races.

Feysa produced a decisive late surge to pull away from Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi in a closely contested race, crossing the finish line 34 seconds ahead of her rival, who clocked 2:14:07. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei finished third in 2:14:55.

Feysa and Lokedi broke away from the leading pack around the 30-kilometer mark, exchanging the lead several times before the Ethiopian made her decisive move in the closing stages to retain her crown.

Her winning time improved her previous personal best by 84 seconds, elevating her to fourth on the women’s marathon all-time list. The race also marked a historic milestone, as the top three finishers all completed the marathon in under 2 hours and 15 minutes for the first time in history.

In the men’s race, Kenya’s Amos Kipruto claimed the title in 2:01:09, while Ethiopia’s Tadese Bikila and Milkesa Mengesha finished second and third, respectively, in 2:02:56 and 2:03:46.

Uganda’s defending champion Jacob Kiplimo finished fourth in 2:04:18, while Ethiopia’s Boki Diriba placed fifth in 2:05:01, matching Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko’s time.

Ethiopia’s strong showing in the men’s race, alongside Feysa’s successful title defence, marked a notable performance by the country’s distance runners at the Chicago Marathon.