Kiplimo ready for Sunday’s Chicago Marathon showdown
David GOMBE
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo will be among the elite runners at the 2025 Chicago Marathon in Illinois on Sunday, October 12th, 2025.
Kiplimo who made his full Marathon debut in London this year, will compete in a field that has defending champion Kenyan John Korir who aims at becoming the sixth man in history to retain the Chicago Marathon title.
At his full Marathon debut, Kiplimo finished second behind Sebastian Sawe in a commendable 2:03 at the 2025 London Marathon.
His time at the London Marathon was the fastest by a Ugandan marathoner in history.
The two time World Cross Country champion who is also a World record holder at the half-Marathon who opted out of the Tokyo World Championships stated is ready to clinch the title in the early morning hours of Sunday.
“I decided to withdraw from the World Championship to have more time to concentrate on preparations ahead of the Chicago Marathon,” Kiplimo as quoted by the Independent.
“I am very happy because my body is responding well and I believe I am in good form to deliver a good performance in Chicago,” added Kiplimo.
The Chicago race is one of the three World Marathon Majors and Kiplimo who has been on the podium of all the major World Athletics events
will be seeking to become the first Ugandan to win a Marathon Major.
Reigning champion Korir raced to the eighth-fastest marathon time in history with a time of 2:02:44 last October, and has declared his intent to chase his year-old personal best, which could mean getting even closer to Kiptum’s world record.
On Sunday, he will be aiming to become the first man in history since the late Sammy Wanjiru retained the title in 2011 after his success in 2010.
Bashir Abdi, the Belgian Olympic marathon silver medallist, will return to the marathon course for the first time since completing the epic Paris 2024 race.
Reigning Rotterdam marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor will also make his debut at the Chicago Marathon, seeking his first World Marathon Major win since defending his New York Marathon title in 2019.