Uganda’s Kiplimo tipped to defend Chicago Marathon title

What the report says

Ugandan marathoner Jacob Kiplimo is being backed by his coach, Peter Chelangat, to defend his Bank of America Chicago Marathon title on Oct. 11, according to The Independent Uganda’s report based on Xinhua. Chelangat said Kiplimo has been training well and appears ready for the race, which will again draw top international competition in Chicago.

The report says Chelangat also linked Kiplimo’s absence from Uganda’s team for the World Athletics Road Running Championships to a decision to keep him focused on Chicago preparation. Kiplimo won the 2025 Chicago Marathon in 2:02:23, and his coach said another victory would be a significant achievement for both the athlete and Uganda.

The article adds that Kiplimo has had a strong 2026 season so far. He won a third straight World Athletics Half Marathon title at the World Cross Country Championships, setting a course record of 57:20, and later placed third in the London Marathon in a personal-best 2:00:28. The report notes he is expected to face challengers including Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele and Kenyan runners Sebastian Sawe, Amos Kipruto and Alex Masai. More broadly, elite marathon fields often feature a mix of East African contenders, which helps explain the attention on Kiplimo’s title defense.