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Fast Courses, High Stakes, and Unfiltered Ambition: Direct Quotes from the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Press Conference

CHICAGO — As the world’s elite distance runners prepare to toe the line in Grant Park, the official press conference for the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon delivered an unvarnished look into the minds of marathon champions, record holders, and debutants.

From frank discussions about long injury rebuilds to tactical racing strategies on Chicago’s iconic flat course, here are the standout quotes directly from the elite field.

Men’s Open Division: Chasing Records and Testing Fitness

The men’s open division press conference featured an aggressive mix of international champions and top American contenders eager to capitalize on Chicago’s world-famous pace.

Clayton Young (USA)

Top American contender addressing his recovery from a hamstring tear (semimembranosus) and his training setup:

• On his injury build and mindset:“I wouldn’t be here if my hamstring didn’t feel good… We’ve taken a very methodical, very careful approach. It’s kind of been like a marathon, this whole training block, and there’s kind of been ebbs and flows and ups and downs… All signs have been good, and I feel incredibly grateful. In fact, it’s kind of miraculous that I get to toe the line on Sunday. Hamstring hasn’t hurt at all in practice and I’m really confident in its ability. In fact, I think it’s kind of funny: they call it a longitudinal split tear in the semimembranosus, and I just keep telling people it’s so strong it had to split in two!”
• On leaning on training partner Conner Mantz for insight:“I’ve asked him like, ‘Okay, what do you think I need to do to be able to break the American record?’… Him and I are better together, and we’ve been able to lean on each other. We have different strengths, so we need to lean into those strengths and learn from each other.”

Charles Hicks (USA)

Stepping up to Chicago after second-place American finishes at Boston and NYC:

• On evaluating his performance on a flat major course:“I think like a lot of guys up here, the first thing I want to see is kind of how the day shapes up. I think we’re all going to go out hard through especially halfway, and I think the second half of that race is where I’m going to get a lot of information… Just find out what I’m capable of on that back half, regardless of the conditions, and find out how good of a competitor I am.”

Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda)

Defending champion and Half Marathon World Record Holder:

• On the power of pack racing:“What motivates me a lot is, you know, it’s good when you’re together with the guys that can push you. Always, I remember London, we were like six guys. We were pushing each other. What I can say on Sunday, I’m going to try my best.”

Amos Kipruto (Kenya)

2022 London Champion following 3rd (2024) and 2nd (2025) place finishes in Chicago:

• On writing a new chapter in Chicago:“Being position three in 2024, being in a position two in 2025, and this is 2026: I think this is a new chapter for me and I’m ready to show it on Sunday.”

Adrian Wildschutt (South Africa)

South African Record Holder making his 26.2 debut:

• On choosing Chicago for his first marathon:“I wanted to get used to the distance first… Chicago’s great and fast. I can hopefully run this fast, but then also, it should give an idea how far I would be from the Olympic standard.”

Women’s Open Division: Debut Excitement and Tactical Execution

The women’s field brings together major champions, world-record holders, and debut athletes transitioning from shorter distances to 26.2 miles.

Emma Grace Hurley (USA)

American Record holder in the women’s-only half marathon (1:06:23 in Copenhagen) making her marathon debut:

• On building confidence from her record performance:“Copenhagen was just like a unicorn day. I think it’s so unique to feel like you can put together 100% of your judgment and 100% of your ability on the same day… I just want to keep doing what I’ve been doing. I think that I’ve found a formula that allows me to show up on race day, be myself, and have fun.”
• On why she chose Chicago for her 26.2 debut:“I came and raced the Shamrock Shuffle here in March and I just had the best time… I was blown away by how amazing the race was and how much fun I had and how beautiful the riverfront was, and I just knew I had to come back.”

Sharon Lokedi (Kenya)

2022 NYC Marathon Champion and Paris Olympic 4th-place finisher:

• On transitioning to Chicago’s flat course:“I think it was time to try something new, try to see how fast I can run… The training has been great, almost the same things, just maybe training a bit faster than usual.”

Suzanne Sullivan (USA)

6th-grade teacher and top American major contender:

• On balancing life changes, full-time teaching, and elite training:“My husband’s a Major in the United States Marine Corps and he had a cross-country move this summer while I stayed back in Virginia where I teach sixth grade. That’s where my training ecosystem is… Having the guys [from George Mason University] come back at the beginning of August so I all of a sudden had training partners right as the training ramped up for Chicago was just such a blessing.”

Natasha Rogers (USA)

Top American finisher in Chicago in 2025:

• On overcoming a delayed build to return to Chicago:“No year is alike, and sometimes life stuff happens that you need to address and focus on. I’m really happy to be able to show up to the start line… I did have a late start to my Chicago build this year, but things are coming around and I think I can do pretty well out there.”

Brigid Kosgei (Kenya)

Former World Record Holder and 2-Time Chicago Champion:

• On racing in front of the Chicago crowds:“I like the course because the course is good, and the crowd is cheering us on the way all through.”

Wheelchair Division: Rebuilding and Race Strategy

In the wheelchair division, multi-time champions reflected on injury comebacks and the tactical differences between flat major marathons.

Daniel Romanchuk (USA)

2020 & 2021 Chicago Champion:

• On recovering from a shoulder fracture caused by a race collision:“Last year at another race, I had a pedestrian run out in front of me and I ended up crashing and dislocating my shoulder. We really weren’t sure the full extent of the damage until I was able to get out to Team USA Medical out in Colorado Springs, and turns out that I ended up with a fractured shoulder… We just started on conservative rest and rehab, and I was able to avoid surgery.”
• On what Chicago represents in his career:“Chicago was the first major marathon that I did. It was the first major that I won as well. So always, always great to be able to come back to Chicago.”

Tatyana McFadden (USA)

9-Time Chicago Champion and 20-Time Paralympic Medalist:

• On the origin story of her marathon career in 2009:“In 2009, I almost didn’t run the Chicago Marathon. My career started out in sprinting, and at the time, my coach from the University of Illinois convinced me by saying, ‘Let’s race the Chicago Marathon… just think about running a 400-meter sprint a hundred times.’ And I’m so glad I did that because it really set up my career.”

Marcel Hug (Switzerland)

11-Time Chicago Champion:

• On managing Berlin and Chicago back-to-back:“These two marathons, they are indeed very similar for us in the wheelchair, as both are very flat… What is different is of course the tactics. Because here at Chicago we have a very strong field with Daniel and David. So it could be a more technical race, other than Berlin which was more like a time trial race for me.”