Amos Kipruto on his Chicago win: "It was either win or die for me"
After third and second places in the previous two years, the Kenyan says he came to Chicago only to win.
In short: Amos Kipruto said after winning the 2026 Chicago Marathon in 2:01:09 that "it was either win or die for me", having finished third in 2024 and second in 2025. Pulse Sports reports the win is worth $100,000.
Amos Kipruto said his third visit to Chicago had only one acceptable outcome. "And now, in 2026, it was either win or die for me, because I was here to fight for the podium," he said after Sunday's race, Pulse Sports reports. He was third in 2024 and second in 2025.
Kipruto said his preparation for Chicago was "perfect" and that his plan was to beat the personal best he ran in London in April. His winning 2:01:09 did that. He and Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo were together until after mile 20 before Kipruto pulled away; he won by 1:47 from Ethiopia's Tadese Bikila, with Kiplimo fourth.
Pulse Sports reports the Chicago winner's prize is $100,000 (about KSh12.9 million), with $75,000 for second and $50,000 for third. That puts Sharon Lokedi's second place in the women's race at $75,000 and Brigid Kosgei's third at $50,000. Read the full race report.