Jordan Hasay and Galen Rupp to race the 2017 Chicago Marathon
With these two showing up in the elite pack, the Chicago Marathon just became an even bigger deal
The Chicago Marathon isn’t far off now and if you loved the 2017 Boston Marathon field, get stoked for Chicago.
Exciting news has come out this week: Nike Oregon stars Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay will be lining up at the start line ready to race a fast 42.2. Rupp is a two-time Olympic medallist and Hasay owns the records for the fastest marathon debut by an American woman. For the 40th Chicago Marathon, both will join the deep field of elites for what should be a strong marathon.
As executive race director, Carey Pinkowski points out, both athletes have the ability to end up on the podium. That would be an exciting story line for the marathon as the last time an American male and female placed in the top three, it was 1996. Luke Puskedra, Diego Estrada, Sam Chelanga, Sarah Crouch, Becky Wade and Alia Gray are also notable U.S. athletes who will be at the front of the pack.
RELATED: VIDEO: Jordan Hasay pays tribute to her late mother during marathon debut
Rupp is an eight-time USATF 10,000m champion and made his marathon debut in 2016 by winning the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. He currently holds four American records: the 10,000m (26:44.36), indoor 3,000m (7:30.16), indoor two-mile (8:07.41) and indoor 5,000m (13:01.26). He is the 15th-fastest man in history over 10,000m, and his 5,000m personal record (PB) of 12:58.90 puts him in an exclusive category of American runners as he’s one of only six to break 13:00 for the distance. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Rupp earned a bronze medal in the marathon, proving that he can compete with the best on the global stage.
Most recently, he ran a strong Boston Marathon in April finishing second in 2:09:58.
He was joined in Boston by Hasay who wowed spectators with an incredible performance at the World Marathon Major. Hasay also trains with the Oregon Project and ran a 2:23:00 marathon in Boston for her first crack at the distance. She beat the past record by almost a full three minutes too and her times makes her the fourth fastest woman to have run the Beantown race.
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Before her race in Boston, she recorded the third-fastest time ever by an American woman in the half-marathon, 1:07:55, at the Prague Half Marathon (only Molly Huddle and Deena Kastor have run faster). Prior to turning her attention to the roads in 2016, Hasay focused on the track, initially making her name as a 1,500m runner (she competed in the 2008 Olympic Trials as a high school runner). She was a two-time Foot Locker Cross Country national champion in high school and a 15-time All American at the University of Oregon. The Chicago Marathon will be her second marathon.
Focus won’t just be on these two stars. Adding to the moments to watch at Chicago this year, is a record attempt by Joan Benoit Samuelson. The 1984 Olympic gold medalist and 1985 Chicago Marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson has chosen Chicago for her age group record attempt. She wants to be the first woman to run a sub-three hour marathon at age 60. (The current record is 3:01:30.)
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