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With record chases and deep international fields taking the stage, the 2025 Chicago Marathon World Marathon Majors Marathon: How to Conquer the Distance of the year. The penultimate race in the global series will feature defending champion John Korir, who is targeting a historic time, a bold American record attempt from Conner Mantz, and a wide open title pursuit on the women’s side.
Here’s everything you need to know, including broadcast information and elite storylines, heading into the race on Sunday, October 12.
How to Watch the 2025 Berlin Marathon
The 47th running of the Chicago Marathon will air on NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago, and TeleXitos beginning at 8 a.m. ET. You can also stream the race live on is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling, YouTube, or by logging into Peacock and accessing the broadcast via the homepage on race day.
Runners to Watch
Last year, John Korir stunned the competition with an incredible 2:02:44 victory Conner Mantz is eyeing the American record while John Korir could threaten the world record is shaping up to be one of the most thrilling at the Boston Marathon in April, the Kenyan champion is targeting an even faster performance this weekend. Korir has been vocal about his goal to run sub-2:01, which would put him within range of the 2:00:35 world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum two years ago in Chicago. Outside of Kiptum, no other athlete has broken the barrier on a record-eligible course.
Korir’s biggest competition will likely be Jacob Kiplimo, who is quickly rising through the ranks in a new distance. In April, the half marathon world record-holder finished second in 2:03:37 at the London Marathon. Chicago will be the Ugandan runner’s second marathon.
Other contenders include Timothy Kiplagat, who finished second at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, last year’s third-place finisher Amos Kipruto, two-time New York City Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, and CyBrian Kotut, who placed third in Boston in April. Bashir Abdi of Belgium will also be looking to claim the crown a year after winning silver in the marathon at the Paris Olympic Games.
The biggest storyline of the American pro field is Conner Mantz’s attempt to break the long-standing American record. So far this year, the U.S. Olympic Trials champion is on the right track. In January, he smashed the national record in the half marathon in Houston. At the Boston Marathon, he finished We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back—faster than the 2:05:38 U.S. record set by Khalid Khannouchi in 2002, but on a course that’s not record-eligible. With some expert pacing and six athletes who’ve run under 2:04 headlining the field, Mantz could make history on Sunday.
Other Americans to follow include 2017 Chicago Marathon champion Galen Rupp, who will be running his first 26.2 in nearly two years, CJ Albertson, and Casey Clinger, who will be making his debut in the distance.
RW+ Membership Benefits Kipchoge and Hassan Are Running the NYC Marathon after a positive drug test, the women’s field will see a new winner this year.
Five women in the professional field have broken 2:20, including Ethiopian rivals Megertu Alemu (2:16:34) and Hawi Feysa (2:17:00). The last time Alemu competed in Chicago was two years ago when she finished third. Meanwhile, Feysa has been on a roll this year with a third-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon in March.
Other podium contenders include Irine Cheptai of Kenya, who finished third in Chicago last year, Bedatu Hirpa of Ethiopia, Haven Hailu Desse, also from Ethiopia, and Calli Hauger-Thackery, who became the second-fastest British marathoner of all time after running 2:21:24 in Berlin last year.
The American contingent includes several strong competitors, notably Dakotah Popehn, who ran her 2:24:40 personal best in Chicago six months before she made the Olympic team at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Natosha Rogers will be running her first 26.2 since clocking a breakthrough race at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, where she ran a 2:23:51 personal best. Plus, keep an eye out for Emily Venters, another triumphant win.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
