Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei and Sharon Lokedi head into Sunday’s Chicago Marathon (11 October) as the favourites, with Ethiopia’s defending champion Hawi Feysa among those looking to stop them.

Kosgei, the former world record-holder, has not raced in Chicago since 2019. She won there in 2018, then returned a year later to run 2:14:04, taking 81 seconds off Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing world record.

Now 32, the Kenyan arrives in some of her best form.

She won the Tokyo Marathon in March in 2:14:29, the second-fastest time of her career and an Asian all-comers’ record.

Lokedi makes her Chicago debut as one of the sport’s leading championship racers.

She won the 2022 New York Marathon and has since taken back-to-back Boston titles, in 2025 and 2026.

She retained her Boston crown in April in 2:18:51, with fellow Chicago entrants Loice Chemnung and Mary Ngugi-Cooper completing the podium.

Chicago gives her a first chance to race one of the flatter, faster courses on the major marathon circuit.

Feysa won the 2025 race in 2:14:57, more than two minutes clear of compatriot Megertu Alemu, the biggest victory of her career.

Five months later she was third in Tokyo behind Kosgei in 2:17:39.

Alemu returns this year, as does Sutume Kebede, whose 2:15:55 personal best makes her the third-fastest woman in the field.

They finished fifth and fourth respectively in Tokyo.

Seven women in the field have a best inside 2:18. Among them is Kenya’s Brillian Kipkoech, who improved her PB to 2:17:05 to win in Hamburg in April, and Degitu Azimeraw, the 2021 London runner-up.

Chemnung, Joan Kilimo, Magdalyne Masai, Fantu Worku and Ngugi-Cooper have all broken 2:20.

Kilimo, just 22, ran her 2:18:40 best for second in Barcelona in March, while Worku clocked 2:19:08 for third in Dubai at the start of February.