Izzi Batt-Doyle has smashed Australia’s women’s marathon record by nearly a minute with a staggering run in Chicago.

The 31-year old beat her previous best by more than two minutes on the 42-kilometre course.

Her time of 2:20:38 was only enough for sixth spot – but that hides the enormity of the achievement.

Not only did she overtake Jess Stenson’s previous Australian record, set in Spain late last year, but did so by a whopping 46 seconds.

“I’m very, very happy,” she told AAP.

“I feel a sense of relief, because it’s something I really felt I could achieve and it’s been on my mind the past couple of years.

“I’m really proud I could achieve it today.”

Batt-Doyle has been in fine form throughout 2026, with her win at the Gold Coast Half Marathon in July seeing her set a record time for an Australian woman in Australia.

Seen as a red-hot medal chance at the 2028 LA Olympics, she was remarkably consistent throughout the race, running between 16:36 and 16:46 for every five-kilometre split.

The result sees Batt-Doyle secure her standing as the Australian No. 1 ahead of the 2028 Games qualification period, which begins in November.

In a touching gesture, fiancee Riley Cocks ran the entire marathon in her slipstream to provide support, eventually crossing the finish line only seconds behind, where the pair embraced.

“Most of the race I was fortunate my fiance Riley was running with me. I was isolated the whole race,” Batt-Doyle said.

“(From the) second kilometre it was just the two of us, because we were running between groups.”

Batt-Doyle said she knew her target of 2 hours 21 minutes was within her grasp on the final stretch, allowing her to enjoy the finish.

“I was able to celebrate the last 150m and seeing the clock, I gave a few fist pumps and smiles. It was quite emotional,” she said.

The sensational has received acclaim from across the Australian sporting scene.

“Congratulations Izzi! Phenomenal run … blistering pace over the marathon. Hard to comprehend this pace,” former Olympic steeplechaser and marathon runner Genevieve Gregson wrote on Instagram.

“She did it!!!!!!!!!” Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rose Davies exclaimed.

Defending champion, Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa, also set a new personal best with a blistering 2:13:33.

“I’m elated to have won the second time,” said Feysa, via an interpreter. She was followed by Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, this year’s Boston winner, who stayed with Feysa most of the race but finished 34 seconds back.

“It certainly became quite a battle, especially after the pacemaker dropped out around 33k. But around 35k, that’s when I became pretty sure I had this in the bag,” said Feysa.

Fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, who set a then-world record of 2:14:04 in Chicago in 2019, continued her fine recent form with third place.

The 32-year-old – a two-time winner in London, Tokyo and Chicago – won last year’s Shanghai Marathon and took this year’s Tokyo title.

More than 55,000 runners competed over the 26.2-mile layout winding through the streets of Chicago.

Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland shattered her own women’s wheelchair world record with a time of 1:33:16.

In the men’s event, Amos Kipruto of Kenya dominated a world-class field to finally win his first Chicago Marathon.

Kipruto’s time of 2:01:09 was a new personal best and vindication for the 34-year-old, who had finished second in Chicago last year and third the previous edition.

This time, Kipruto pulled clear of defending champion and pre-race favourite Jacob Kiplimo at mile 21 and never looked back.

“Today’s race was really good for me… I came here 2024, I became position three, 2025 I became position two. And now 2026 it was either win or die for me,” said Kipruto.

He finished the 48th Chicago Marathon nearly two minutes clear in ideal sunny but cool conditions, briefly sinking to the floor after he crossed the finish line, before quickly rising with a giant grin.

Kipruto, the 2022 London champion, had set his previous personal best finishing fourth at this year’s historic London race, where the mythical two-hour barrier was broken.

But he had the spotlight to himself in Chicago.

“The preparation for me toward the Chicago Marathon 2026 was perfect for me. I improved a lot in training for the previous London Marathon,” said Kipruto.

“But I said ‘let’s go (for) Chicago’ and let be what will be. Everything is all about a mindset. It was a tough field, but I set my mind and I said ‘let’s go.’” His time makes him the joint-fifth fastest marathon runner of all time. Uganda’s Kiplimo ultimately slipped back to fourth place.

Tadese Takele Bikila of Ethiopia – the defending Tokyo champion, making his US marathon debut – took second, while compatriot Milkesa Mengesha came third.





–