Kenyan marathon star Sharon Lokedi has moved to eighth on the women’s marathon all-time list after clocking a personal-best 2:14:07 to finish second at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
The two-time Boston Marathon champion shaved more than three minutes off her previous best of 2:17:22, recorded when she won the 2025 Boston Marathon, in a race won by Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa in 2:13:33.
Lokedi, 32, remained in contention for victory until the closing stages, when Feysa produced a decisive late surge to defend her Chicago title by 34 seconds. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei finished third in 2:14:55, completing a historic podium in which all three women ran under two hours and 15 minutes for the first time in marathon history.
Despite missing out on victory, Lokedi’s performance marked a significant improvement on her previous personal best and reinforced her status among the world’s leading marathon runners.
The Kenyan has built an impressive record over the distance, winning the New York City Marathon in 2022 before claiming consecutive Boston Marathon titles in 2025 and 2026. Her latest performance in Chicago represents another major step forward as she continues to lower her best time.
Lokedi also discussed the challenge of preparing for Chicago’s flat course while training in areas where finding level terrain can be difficult.
“For me, like, I just want to get in and just run,” she said, describing her approach to the race.
She added that avoiding hills had been a consideration during her preparation.
“I think the only thing I try to avoid is avoid the hills as much as possible,” Lokedi said with a laugh.
The Kenyan explained that training in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Kenya made it difficult to find flat routes.
“But anyway, I live in Flagstaff, or I was in Kenya—there’s no flat area,” she said.
Feysa’s winning performance moved her to fourth on the women’s marathon all-time list, behind Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich and Ethiopians Fotyen Tesfay and Tigst Assefa.
Chepng’etich holds the world record of 2:09:56, set at the Chicago Marathon in 2024, while Tesfay and Assefa occupy second and third positions, respectively.
With her personal best now at 2:14:07, Lokedi has joined the fastest women in marathon history, adding another landmark result to a career that continues to deliver on the international stage.
