Kiplimo battles hamstring injury to finish fourth in Chicago as title defence falls short
David GOMBE
Defending champion Jacob Kiplimo has explained his fourth-place finish at the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, revealing a hamstring problem derailed his title defence after 30 kilometres.
The Ugandan star clocked 2:04:18 on Sunday, October 11, as Kenya’s Amos Kipruto won the men’s race in a personal-best 2:01:09. 7216
Ethiopia’s Tadese Bikila finished second in 2:02:56, with compatriot Milkesa Mengesha third in 2:03:46. 4b56
Kiplimo, who had won the 2025 Chicago Marathon in 2:02:23, had been on course for a historic time before the injury struck.
In a statement after the race, Kiplimo said:
“Not the day we had hoped for. But never a day to give up. Until around the 30K mark, my body was responding well and everything was going according to plan. Then I felt a problem with my hamstring, and the race suddenly became a completely different challenge.
“ Finishing fourth as the defending champion is not the result I came to Chicago for. But over the final 12 kilometres, it became a battle of determination, pushing through the pain and finding the strength to make it to the finish line.”
“These pictures tell the story of those final kilometres. The pain, the struggle, but also the determination to never give up.”
According to race splits, Kiplimo was formidable early. He covered the opening 5km in 14:19 and reached halfway in 1:00:21 before accelerating to 25km in 1:11:19, his fastest 5km segment being 14:06 between 20-25km. 4b56
He and Kipruto passed 30 kilometres together in 1:25:28, a pace projecting a finish around 2:00:12. 7216
Kipruto then pulled away, opening a 12-second lead by 35km before extending his advantage as Kiplimo dropped back. 7216
Kipruto’s win was his second World Marathon Majors title after London 2022 and his third attempt in Chicago after finishing third in 2024 and second in 2025.
Kiplimo’s attempt to become the first man to win back-to-back Chicago titles since Samuel Wanjiru in 2009-2010 ended. 6f65
Despite the setback, the Ugandan legendary athlete showed grit to stay in the race and secure fourth.
“This is not the end of the story. I’ll take some time to recover and enjoy precious moments with my family before getting back to work. We will come back stronger and be ready for the next challenge,” he said.
“A huge thank you to everyone who stands by me: my training team, management, sponsors, and everyone who supports me every step of the way. And to the people of Chicago, thank you for your incredible support throughout all 42 kilometres. Your cheers meant so much, especially when things got tough.”
