Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner set new course records at Chicago Marathon

Swiss stars Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner set new course records in route to victory at this year’s Chicago Marathon on Sunday (8 October) in USA. 

The men’s wheelchair race was a time-trial effort from Marcel Hug. The Swiss Silver Bullet pushed out to lead from the start and never had competition up front. He shattered his own course record by nearly three minutes, winning his fourth Chicago Marathon in 1:22:37.

“It’s unbelievable. I was feeling great this morning.” said Hug, who is undefeated through four races in 2023. “I tried to break the [Chicago Marathon] record, but to break it by so much is crazy.”

Three-time Chicago champion Daniel Romanchuk of USA was second in 1:31:34. Dutch wheelchair racer Jetze Plat was third in 1:31:40.

The women’s wheelchair competition was a battle from start to finish between USA’s Susannah Scaroni (USA) and Switzerland’s world record holder Catherine Debrunner. 

The two traded the lead throughout the race with Debrunner taking over for the last time in the final mile. After the turn onto Columbus Drive, Debrunner was able to pull slightly ahead, winning in a new course record of 1:38:44, two seconds ahead of Scaroni.

“It was an amazing race,” said Debrunner, who was competing in the United States for the first time. “I had a really great race together with Susannah Scaroni. She attacked really hard at the last hill, but I could fight and I made it. I am really proud of both of us.”

Nine-time Chicago champion Tatyana McFadden, who previously held the course record, finished third in 1:41:17.

Twenty-seven racers from eight nations took part in the men’s wheelchair event. The women’s race saw 19 competitors from six countries on the streets of Chicago.

Under ideal conditions for fall in the Midwest, more than 48,500 finished the 45th running of the Chicago Marathon, the most in race history. That includes the event’s millionth finisher, Allison Naval of Evanston, USA.

Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum became the first able-bodied man to run a sub-2:01 marathon in an officially sanctioned competition, breaking the tape in a world-record time of 2:00:35.

In the women’s able-bodied race, the Netherland’s Sifan Hassan crossed the line in 2:13:44, the second fastest women’s ambulant marathon time ever, setting a new women’s course record.

Jake Caswell of New York, USA was the first non-binary participant to cross the finish line with a time of 2:38:05.

The 46th running of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will take place on 13 October, 2024.  Applications for the event open on 17 October this year. More information can be found here.