With the Berlin Marathon now long gone, it’s time for the Chicago Marathon. This year’s event is heavily special in a bittersweet manner, as it’ll be hosted without the participation of Kelvin Kiptum. The Kenyan racer set a new world record in the event last year with a time of 2 hours, 35 seconds. But, after an unfortunate car accident in February, the long-distance runner passed away.

In the honor of his memory, the event will have a moment of silence. Another contestant who won’t be present this year is Sifan Hassan; she won the event last year with a European record time of 2:13:44. After his incredible Paris Olympics campaign, where she ended up winning three medals, she has decided to skip the Chicago edition. But instead, there are numerous other athletes to look forward to.

Top 5 Athletes to Watch at the World Majors Event

Ruth Chepgngetich

Ruth Chepgngetich, who won the 2021 and 2022 edition of the Chicago marathon is all set to attempt to reclaim her title. In 2021, she won her race with a time of 2:22:31, while in 2022, she ran at 2:14:18. She is the first female athlete to break the 2:18 barrier three times in her career. Chicago is a special location for the Kenyan as she won first ever Marathon title ever. Thus, she’s one to watch out for.

Sara Hall

Sara Hall is another athlete who will be participating. Belonging from California, the 40 year old won the bronze medal at the 2021 edition of the race with a time of 2:27:19. Her personal best was set back to 2020 during the London Marathon, where she finished with a time of 2:22.01. If she could repeat this figure once again at Chicago, it might give her a fighting chance at the first position, making her a vital athlete here. Other American athletes who are competing are Keira D’Amato, a half marathon record holder with a time of 1:06:39, and Betsy Saina, who was born in Kenya but now competes for the US.

Amos Kipruto

On the male side of things, Amos Kipruto is an athlete to keep an eye on. He has won four medals in the World Marathon Majors which includes a gold at the 2022 London Marathon. He finished with a time of 2:04:39. However, his personal best came during the 2021 Tokyo Marathon where he finished second with 2:03:13. Thus, he seems to be one of the major contenders in this Chicago marathon.

Vincent Ngetich

Another major competitor is Vincent Ngetich. He made his debut last year at the Berlin Marathon. There, he achieved popularity as he finished second with a time of 2:03.13. Thus, there is no doubt that he could be the one who can cause problems for many. His personal best in a half marathon is 59:09 seconds set in Copenhagen.

CJ Albertson

CJ Albertson, the American racer is also a candidate who could race all his way to victory. The Arizona State alumni is the world record holder at the 50km race with a time of 2:38:43. During his collegiate career, he broke the school record for the indoor 5000m. Currently, he competes for Brooks Running and took part in the Olympics trials, finishing with a time of 2:10:07. Thus, all of these athletes combined would make for an exciting race for the fans.

The event will be held on October 13, which is Sunday. All the races will be broadcasted on the NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago and TeleXitos in English and Spanish. Additionally, Olympics.com will broadcast it in some territories. The race will start at 7:30 am; with 50,000 racers lining up, the event looks set to be very exciting and enjoyable for the fans.