Jemal Yimer (58:33 half pb) and Ruti Aga (2:18:34) added to 2022 Chicago Marathon elite fields

by LetsRun.com
September 28, 2022

The 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon got a boost in quality yesterday when race organizers announced some significant additions to the elite fields, led by Ethiopian national record holder Jemal Yimer on the men’s side and 2:18:34 marathon Ruti Aga on the women’s side. Aga is the more accomplished marathoner but she is the bigger question mark as she dropped out of New York last year and hasn’t raced at all in 2022 whereas Yimer, who has recorded marathon finishers only in Boston (3rd and 8th the last 2 years), has been on fire on the roads this summer.

Below we show you the new additions to the elite fields (We present them in order from most likely to win to least likely) and after that you will see the full elite fields.

Jemal Yimer after winning the 2020 Houston Half Marathon. Courtesy Doyin Odulana (Seven Media). Courtesy Doyin Odulana (Seven Media)

Men

Article continues below player.
  • Jemal Yimer (ETH) –  2:08:58 pb (Boston, 2022).  26-years-old. Half marathon ace. 26:54 10,000 pb. Ethiopian national record holder in the half marathon, 58:33, which he ran in Valencia in 2018. Trivial: Did you know 12 Kenyans have run faster than that? His two marathon finishes have been in Boston where he was third in 2021 and 8th this year. In good form this summer. 3rd at Peachtree (27:50), 1st at Boilermaker (42:38), 1st in Larne half in 59:04 on August 28th.
  • Shifera Tamru (ETH) – 2:05:18 pb. Only 23. Won Seoul in 2019 (2:05:29) and Daegu (2:06:31) earlier this year. 5th in Chicago last year. Has ran under 2:06 in 4 of last 5 marathon.
  • Bernard Koech (KEN) – 2:04:09 pb (Amsterdamn 2021). 34-years-old. Has 5 times run run under 2:07 incluing twice in the 2:04s including in his debut in Dubain in 2013 without super shoes. Has never won a marathon but was s2nd in 2021 Amsterdam and 2014 Rotterdam. No races at all in 2022.
  • Guojian Dong (CHN) – 35-years-old. Three-time Olympian (2012, 2016 and 2020 marathon); five-time national champion on the track in the 10,000 and 5000m; marathon personal best 2:08:28 (Berlin, 2019). Chinese record is 2:08:15.

Update: We have no idea but the Chicago press release announcing the additions didn’t highlight the fact they’ve also added Paris course record holder Elisha Rotich (2:04:21 pb) so we didn’t mention him either. He was just listed at the end of the release with no time. Rotich hasn’t raced in 2022 but he set th Paris CR in his last race. He says he’s ready to go according to Kenya media.

Women

  • Ruti Aga (ETH) – 2:18:34 pb (2018 Berlin). 28-years old. Hasn’t broken 2:20 in her last 6 marathons since running 2:18 in Berlin but did win Tokyo in 2019 in 2:20:40. DNF in NY last year. No results in 2022. Also 2018 Tokyo Marathon and Berlin Marathon runner-up.
  • Delvine Meringor (ROU) – 2:24:32 pb. 30-years-old. Former Kenyan. 2022 Los Angeles Marathon champion, and 2022 Romanian national champion in the 5000m and 10,000m.
  • Sarah Inglis (GBR) – 2:29:41 pb (Chandler, 2020). 31-years-old. 2022 Commonwealth Games competitor in the 5000m and 10,000m.

Elisha Rotich (KEN), Abayneh Degu (ETH), Amanuel Mesel (ERI), Masaya Taguchi (JPN), Jianhua Peng (CHN), Shaohui Yang (CHN), Steven Martinez (USA) have also been added to the 2022 elite open division race. Fidel Aguilar (MEX), Jose Pulido (USA) and Hannah Dederick (USA) have been added to the 2022 elite wheelchair competition.

Previously announced athletes Jeison Suarez (COL), Jerrell Mock (USA), Colin Mickow (USA) and Hiroki Nishida (JPN) have withdrawn from the 2022 event.

 2022 Chicago Marathon Elite Men’s Field
Athlete / PB / Country
Herpasa Negasa 2:03:40 (Dubai, 2019) ETH
Bernard Koech 2:04:09 (Amsterdam, 2021) KEN
Elisha Rotich 2:04:21 (Paris, 2021) KEN
Dawit Wolde 2:04:27 (Rotterdam, 2021) ETH
Seifu Tura 2:04:29 (Milan, 2021) ETH
Asrar Abderehman 2:04:43 (Seville, 2022) ETH
Stephen Kissa 2:04:48 (Hamburg, 2022) UGA
Abayneh Degu 2:04:53 (Paris, 2021) ETH
Benson Kipruto 2:05:13 (Toronto, 2019) KEN
Shifera Tamru 2:05:18 (Dubai, 2019) ETH
Eric Kiptanui 2:05:47 (Siena, 2021) KEN
Kyohei Hosoya 2:06:35 (Otsu, 2021) JPN
Hamza Sahli 2:07:15 (Seoul, 2022) MAR
Ichitaka Yamashita 2:07:42 (Otsu, 2022) JPN
Amanuel Mesel 2:08:17 (Valencia, 2013) ERI
Hiroto Fujimagari 2:08:20 (Oita, 2022) JPN
Guojian Dong 2:08:26 (Berlin, 2019) CHN
Kiyoshi Koga 2:08:30 (Oita, 2022) JPN
Riki Nakanishi 2:08:51 (Oita, 2022) JPN
Jemal Yimer Mekonnen 2:08:58 (Boston, 2022) ETH
John Korir 2:09:08 (Los Angeles, 2022) KEN
Masaya Taguchi 2:09:27 (Tokyo, 2021) JPN
Jianhua Peng 2:09:57 (Guangzhou, 2019) CHN
Matt McDonald 2:10:35 (Boston, 2022) USA
Shaohui Yang 2:11:19 (Xuzhou, 2021) CHN
Frank Lara 2:11:32 (Houston, 2022) USA
Reid Buchanan 2:11:38 (Chandler, 2020) USA
Wilkerson Given 2:11:44 (Chicago, 2019) USA
Tyler McCandless 2:12:28 (Sacramento, 2017) USA
Turner Wiley 2:13:40 (Duluth, 2022) USA
Nico Montanez 2:13:55 (Chicago, 2021) USA
Alan Peterson 2:14:45 (Chandler, 2020) USA
Dan Kremske 2:14:53 (Chicago, 2019) USA
Zach Panning 2:15:04 (Chicago, 2021) USA
Paul Hogan 2:15:08 (Boston, 2022) USA
UPDATED AS OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
NAME PERSONAL BEST COUNTRY
Steven Martinez 2:15:54 (Houston, 2022) USA
Clayton Young 2:16:07 (Chicago, 2021) USA
Garret Lee 2:18:21 (Duluth, 2021) USA
Abdulmuhsen Alali 2:19:17 (Mesa, 2022) KUW
Chase Weaverling 2:20:58 (Atlanta, 2020) USA
John Dressel Debut USA
JP Flavin Debut USA
Conner Mantz Debut USA
Patrick Tiernan Debut AUS

 2022 Chicago Marathon Elite Women’s Field
Ruth Chepngetich 2:17:08 (Dubai, 2019) KEN
Ruti Aga 2:18:34 (Berlin, 2018) ETH
Celestine Chepchirchir 2:20:10 (Seoul, 2022) KEN
Vivian Kiplagat 2:20:18 (Milan, 2022) KEN
Haven Hailu Desse 2:20:19 (Amsterdam, 2021) ETH
Waganesh Mekasha 2:22:45 (Dubai, 2019) ETH
Emily Sisson 2:23:08 (London, 2019) USA
Delvine Meringor 2:24:32 (Siena, 2021) ROU
Laura Thweatt 2:25:38 (London, 2017) USA
Sarah Sellers 2:25:43 (Duluth, 2022) USA
Sara Vaughn 2:26:53 (Sacramento, 2021) USA
Susanna Sullivan 2:26:56 (Duluth, 2022) USA
Diane Nukuri 2:27:50 (London, 2015) USA
Krista Duchene 2:28:32 (Toronto, 2013) CAN
Maggie Montoya 2:29:08 (Houston, 2022) USA
Ursula Sanchez 2:29:11 (Chandler, 2020) MEX
Sarah Inglis 2:29:41 (Chandler, 2020) GBR
Carrie Verdon 2:31:51 (Chicago, 2021) USA
Rachel Hannah 2:32:09 (Houston, 2016) CAN
Brittney Feivor 2:32:41 (Houston, 2022) USA
Meriah Earle 2:34:19 (Duluth, 2022) USA
Marie-Ange Brumelot 2:35:41 (Duluth, 2022) FRA
Kristen Heckert 2:38:54 (Chicago, 2017) USA
Olivia Pratt 2:40:42 (Chicago, 2021) USA
Jessie Cardin Debut USA
Makena Morley Debut USA

Talk about the Chicago Marathon on our world-famous messageboard:

Tune into the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Watch Live

NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will provide complete live local TV coverage of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in English and Spanish from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. CST on Sunday, October 9. Expert analysts Ed Eyestone, Carrie Tollefson and Amanda McGrory will join Marion Brookes and Leila Rahimi on NBC 5 Chicago, with Juan Luis Barrios, Luis Posso and Saul Mendoza joining Anabel Monge and Héctor Lozano on Telemundo Chicago.

Covering the leaders and reporting along the course will be U.S. American Marathon Record Holder Keira D’Amato for the women’s elite open division and Olympian Diego Estrada for the men’s elite open division. A talented array of NBC and Telemundo reporters will join the broadcast at the start, finish and along the course.

The 44th running of the race will also be streamed live nationally on Peacock from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. CST, as well as on nbcchicago.com and telemundochicago.com from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. CST.

International viewers can watch the race via a variety of global broadcast partners, including Eurosport, SuperSport, ESPN Latin America, Sky New Zealand, Astro Malaysia and SMG China. Viewers are encouraged to check their local listings for timing.

Listen Live

670 The Score Sports Radio will provide complete live radio coverage of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on race day from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. CST. Fans of the sport can listen to Chicago’s Josh Liss joined by analysts Greg Meyer, Jenny Spangler, Treniere Moser and Chris Wehrman for a play-by-play of all the action. Listen from anywhere on Sunday, October 9 at 670thescore.com/listen.

Related
Want More? Join The Supporters Club Today
Support independent journalism and get:
  • Exclusive Access to VIP Supporters Club Content
  • Bonus Podcasts Every Friday
  • Free LetsRun.com Shirt (Annual Subscribers)
  • Exclusive Discounts
  • Enhanced Message Boards