2017 Chicago MarathonOct 6, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
A Brief History Of Top American Performances At The Chicago Marathon
A Brief History Of Top American Performances At The Chicago Marathon
A brief history of top American performances at the Chicago Marathon.
The 40th edition of the Chicago Marathon is this Sunday, and the fields are as loaded as ever. The men's race features the world record holder Dennis Kimetto, defending champion Abel Kirui, plus Olympic silver medalist Feyisa Lelisa. And the women's field features 2:17 marathoner Tirunesh Dibaba, the third-fastest woman in world history, plus two-time defending champion Florence Kiplagat. But the success of the Nike Oregon Project's Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay at this spring's Boston Marathon has us wondering -- is it time for an American to win this race again?
No American man or woman has won the Chicago Marathon in 12 years, since Deena Kastor crossed the tape first in 2005 with a time of 2:21:25. The last American man to win the race was Khalid Khannouchi in 2002, with a time of 2:05:56.
Read on for history on top historical American finishes at the Chicago Marathon, and make sure to check out the preview for this weekend's race here. Note that results beyond the top 10 individuals prior to the year 1996 are not available online, so some of the chart is incomplete.
​Watch Khalid Khannouchi break the world record at the 1999 Chicago Marathon:
​Watch Deena Kastor win the 2005 Chicago Marathon:
No American man or woman has won the Chicago Marathon in 12 years, since Deena Kastor crossed the tape first in 2005 with a time of 2:21:25. The last American man to win the race was Khalid Khannouchi in 2002, with a time of 2:05:56.
Read on for history on top historical American finishes at the Chicago Marathon, and make sure to check out the preview for this weekend's race here. Note that results beyond the top 10 individuals prior to the year 1996 are not available online, so some of the chart is incomplete.
Men's Historical Finishes At The Chicago Marathon
YEAR | MEN'S CHAMPION | TIME | TOP AMERICAN MALE | TIME/PLACE | # OF AMERICANS IN TOP 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Dan Cloeter, USA | 2:17:52 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1978 | Mark Stanforth, USA | 2:19:20 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1979 | Dan Cloeter, USA | 2:23:20 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1980 | Frank Richardson, USA | 2:14:04 | n/a | n/a | 9 |
1981 | Phil Coppess, USA | 2:16:13 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1982 | Greg Meyer, USA | 2:10:59 | n/a | n/a | 4 |
1983 | Joseph Nzau, Kenya | 2:09:44 | Tom Raunig | 2:12:55/7th | 2 |
1984 | Steve Jones, Great Britain | 2:08:05 | 0 | ||
1985 | Steve Jones, Great Britain | 2:07:13 | Don Janicki | 2:11:16/7th | 2 |
1986 | Toshihiko Seko, Japan | 2:08:27 | 0 | ||
1987 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
1988 | Alejandro Cruz, Mexico | 2:08:57 | 0 | ||
1989 | Paul Davis-Hale, Great Britain | 2:11:25 | Ed Eyestone | 2:14:57/4th | 1 |
1990 | Martin Pitayo, Mexico | 2:09:41 | Ed Eyestone | 2:10:59/5th | 1 |
1991 | Joseildo Rocha, Brazil | 2:14:33 | David Mora | 2:15:44/4th | 3 |
1992 | Jose Cesar De Souza, Brazil | 2:16:14 | 0 | ||
1993 | Luiz Antonio Dos Santos, Brazil | 2:13:15 | Jeff Jacobs | 2:16/6th | 1 |
1994 | Luiz Antonio Dos Santos, Brazil | 2:11:16 | Ed Eyestone | 2:11:51/2nd | 4 |
1995 | Eamonn Martin, Great Britain | 2:11:18 | 0 | ||
1996 | Paul Evans, Great Britain | 2:08:52 | Jerry Lawson | 2:10:04/2nd | 1 |
1997 | Khalid Khannouchi, Morroco | 2:07:10 | Jerry Lawson | 2:09:35/7th | 2 |
1998 | Ondoro Osoro, Kenya | 2:06:54 | Rod DeHaven | 2:13:01/15th | 0 |
1999 | Khalid Khannouchi, Morroco | 2:05:42 | David Morris | 2:09:32/4th | 1 |
2000 | Khalid Khannouchi, USA | 2:07:01 | n/a | n/a | 4 |
2001 | Ben Kimondiu, Kenya | 2:08:52 | Rod DeHaven | 2:11:40/6th | 1 |
2002 | Khalid Khannouchi, USA | 2:05:56 | n/a | n/a | 2 |
2003 | Evans Rutto, Kenya | 2:05:50 | Meb Keflezighi | 2:10:03/7th | 1 |
2004 | Evans Rutto, Kenya | 2:06:16 | Khalid Khannouchi | 2:08:44/5th | 1 |
2005 | Felix Limo, Kenya | 2:07:02 | Alan Culpepper | 2:13:20/12th | 0 |
2006 | Robert Kipchoech Cheruiyot, Kenya | 2:07:35 | Abdi Abdirahman | 2:08:56/4th | 2 |
2007 | Patrick Ivuti, Kenya | 2:11:11 | Michael Cox | 2:21:42/8th | 3 |
2008 | Evans Cheruiyot, Kenya | 2:06:25 | Mike Reneau | 2:16:20/7th | 1 |
2009 | Sammy Wanjiru, Kenya | 2:05:41 | Sergio Reyes | 2:15:30/8th | 2 |
2010 | Sammy Wanjiru, Kenya | 2:06:24 | Jason Hartmann | 2:11:06/8th | 2 |
2011 | Moses Mosop, Kenya | 2:05:37 | Ryan Hall | 2:08:04/5th | 1 |
2012 | Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopia | 2:04:38 | Dathan Ritzenhein | 2:07:47/9th | 1 |
2013 | Dennis Kimetto, Kenya | 2:03:45 | Dathan Ritzenhein | 2:09:45/5th | 2 |
2014 | Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya | 2:04:11 | Bobby Curtis | 2:11:20/9th | 1 |
2015 | Dickson Chumba, Kenya | 2:09:25 | Luke Puskedra | 2:10:24/5th | 3 |
2016 | Abel Kirui, Kenya | 2:11:23 | Diego Estrada | 2:13:56/8th | 2 |
​Watch Khalid Khannouchi break the world record at the 1999 Chicago Marathon:
Women's Historical Finishes At The Chicago Marathon
YEAR | WOMEN'S CHAMPION | TIME | TOP AMERICAN FEMALE | TIME/PLACE | # OF AMERICANS IN TOP 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Dorothy Doolittle, USA | 2:50:47 | n/a | n/a | 9 |
1978 | Lynae Larson, USA | 2:59:25 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1979 | Laura Michalek, USA | 3:15:45 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1980 | Sue Peterson, USA | 2:45:03 | n/a | n/a | 9 |
1981 | Tina Gandy, USA | 2:49:39 | n/a | n/a | 10 |
1982 | Nancy Conz, USA | 2:33:23 | n/a | n/a | 9 |
1983 | Rosa Mota, Portugal | 2:31:12 | Karen Dunn | 2:34:24/5th | 4 |
1984 | Rosa Mota, Portugal | 2:26:01 | Lisa Weidenbach | 2:31:31/5th | 1 |
1985 | Joan Benoit Samuelson, USA | 2:21:21 | n/a | n/a | 1 |
1986 | Ingrid Kristiansen, Norway | 2:27:08 | Debbie Raunig | 2:31:28/4th | 3 |
1987 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
1988 | Lisa Weidenbach, USA | 2:29:17 | n/a | n/a | 3 |
1989 | Lisa Weidenbach, USA | 2:28:15 | n/a | n/a | 2 |
1990 | Aurora Cunha, Portugal | 2:30:11 | Kellie Cathey | 2:35:58/5th | 5 |
1991 | Midde Hamrin-Senorski, Sweden | 2:36:21 | Mary Pastillo | 2:46:12/8th | 2 |
1992 | Linda Somers, USA | 2:37:41 | n/a | n/a | 5 |
1993 | Ritva Lemettinen, Finland | 2:33:18 | Linda Somers | 2:34:26/2nd | 4 |
1994 | Kristy Johnston, USA | 2:31:34 | n/a | n/a | 7 |
1995 | Rita Lemettinen, Finland | 2:28:27 | Kim Jones | 2:31:24/2nd | 2 |
1996 | Marian Sutton, Great Britain | 2:30:41 | Kristy Johnston | 2:31:06/2nd | 4 |
1997 | Marian Sutton, Great Britain | 2:29:03 | Christine McNamara | 2:33:08/4th | 4 |
1998 | Joyce Chepchumba, Kenya | 2:23:57 | Kristy Johnston | 2:32:37/8th | 2 |
1999 | Joyce Chepchumba, Kenya | 2:25:59 | Libbie Hickman | 2:28:34/6th | 2 |
2000 | Catherine Ndereba, Kenya | 2:21:33 | Libbie Hickman | 2:32:09/6th | 4 |
2001 | Catherine Ndereba, Kenya | 2:18:47 | Kelly Keeler | 2:43:06/10th | 1 |
2002 | Paula Radcliffe, Great Britain | 2:17:18 | Deena Drossin | 2:26:53/6th | 2 |
2003 | Svetlana Zakharova, Russia | 2:23:07 | Colleen De Reuck | 2:28:01/7th | 2 |
2004 | Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Russia | 2:23:45 | Marla Runyan | 2:28:33/7th | 3 |
2005 | Deena Kastor, USA | 2:21:25 | n/a | n/a | 3 |
2006 | Berhane Adere, Ethiopia | 2:20:42 | Elva Dryer | 2:31:48/12th | 0 |
2007 | Berhane Adere, Ethiopia | 2:33:49 | Kate O'Neill | 2:36:15/3rd | 3 |
2008 | Lidiya Grigoryeva, Russia | 2:27:17 | Desiree Davila | 2:31:33/5th | 4 |
2009 | Irina Mikitenko, Germany* | 2:26:31 | Deena Kastor | 2:28:50/5th | 3 |
2010 | Astede Baysa, Ethiopia* | 2:23:40 | Desiree Davila | 2:26:20/3rd | 3 |
2011 | Ejegayehu Dibaba, Ethiopia* | 2:22:09 | Jeannette Faber | 2:36:58/10th | 1 |
2012 | Atsede Baysa, Ethiopia | 2:22:03 | Renee Metivier Baillie | 2:27:17/8th | 3 |
2013 | Rita Jeptoo, Kenya | 2:19:57 | Clara Santucci | 2:31:41/9th | 2 |
2014 | Mare Dibaba, Ethiopia* | 2:25:37 | Amy Hastings | 2:27:03/4th | 6 |
2015 | Florence Kiplagat, Kenya | 2:23:33 | Deena Kastor | 2:27:47/7th | 2 |
2016 | Florence Kiplagat, Kenya | 2:21:32 | Serena Burla | 2:30:40/7th | 3 |
​Watch Deena Kastor win the 2005 Chicago Marathon:
Points of interest:
- In 1987, the event held only a half-marathon due to a sponsorship dispute.
- Khalid Khannouchi is the only four-time Chicago Marathon champion. He won twice -- in 1997 and 1999 -- for his native Morocco, then again in 2000 and 2002 for the United States after becoming a naturalized American citizen.
- Laura Michalek's 3:15:45 in 1979 is the slowest winning time in event history, but she is also the youngest Chicago Marathon champion as she was just 15 years old on race day. For her efforts, she received a month-long ban from her high school cross country team for participating in a non-Illinois prep sanctioned event. She never ran another marathon again.
- 1988 and 1989 champion Lisa Weidenbach is also the last American woman to win the Boston Marathon, per her victory in 1985. She later married and became Lisa Rainsberger; now, she's mom to Katie Rainsberger, an All-American runner for the University of Oregon.
- Ed Eyestone was the top American male in Chicago three times, including a runner-up placement in 1994. The two-time Olympian is the head coach of the men's team at BYU, currently ranked No. 2 in the FloXC rankings.
- *In years marked with an asterisk, the original champion was disqualified. Liliya Shobukhova of Russia won in 2009, 2010, and 2011, but all of her results were voided after a positive drug test in 2014. Two-time champion Rita Jeptoo was relieved of her 2014 title after her own positive drug test.
- Ten years after she won the Chicago Marathon, Deena Kastor [neé Drossin] placed seventh in 2:27:47 at the age of 42 at the 2015 Chicago Marathon. The time took a minute off the American Master's Record.
- Four world records have been set at the Chicago Marathon: Steve Jones' 2:08:05 in 1984, Khannouchi's 2:05:42 in 1999, Catherine Ndereba's 2:18:47 in 2001, and Paula Radcliffe's 2:17:18 in 2002.