We can start looking towards 2024 Chicago Marathon predictions as the 46th edition kicks off on Sunday, October 13. I’m going to take you through the route and the weather forecast, and give you some historical context before making some predictions!
As expected by our team, Bovada has Chicago Marathon betting odds for both the men’s and women’s pro races, so if you want to bet on the event, that’s our recommended bookmaker.
Chicago Marathon 2024 Betting Odds
We have betting odds on both the men’s and women’s Chicago Marathon races, so let’s check them out.
Chicago Marathon Men’s Betting Odds
| Contestant | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Vincent Ngetich | +250 |
| Amos Kipruto | +275 |
| Birhanu Legese | +400 |
| Amedework Walelegn | +450 |
| Daniel Ebenyo | +600 |
| Mohamed Esa | +800 |
We’ve only included the most likely winners above, but you can bet on more contestants at Bovada. There are also odds on the women’s race, so let’s check them out.
Chicago Marathon 2024 Women’s Race Betting Odds
| Contestant | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Ruth Chepngetich | -125 |
| Sutume Asefa Kebede | +125 |
| Joyciline Jepkosgei | +700 |
| Irine Chebet Cheptai | +1600 |
| Degitu Azimeraw | +2000 |
| Betsy Saina | +2800 |
Ruth Chepngetich and Sutume Asefa Kebede are the most likely winners, but Bovada offers odds on many more contestants.
Chicago Marathon 2024 Route
It’s essential to know the route that the marathon travels before you head to online sportsbooks. The route for the 2024 Chicago Marathon will take runners in a loop, with the race starting and ending at Grant Park, a large park in downtown Chicago. The race is 26.2 miles, which is standard for a marathon length.
The Chicago Marathon route will go through 29 neighborhoods in the city, including:
- The Loop
- River North
- Old Town Triangle
- Lincoln Park
- Lake View East
- Wrigleyville
- Park West
- Chinatown
- Greektown
The race is relatively flat, as the minimum elevation is 580 feet above sea level, and the maximum is 612 feet. Out of the six Marathon Majors (Chicago, Boston, London, Tokyo, Berlin, New York), the marathon in the “Windy City” is the flattest.
That means the race is usually very fast as runners don’t have to deal with elevation. The men’s world record was set by Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. The women’s world record was set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei in 2019 in Chicago.
Favorites for the 2024 Chicago Marathon
Let’s take a look at the favorites you’ll find in many 2024 Chicago Marathon betting predictions, and offshore sportsbooks, this year.
It should be said that last year’s winner, Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya, tragically passed away in a car accident in February 2024, along with his coach. He was just 24 years old, and 23 when he set the world record in Chicago last October.
Men’s Favorites
Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia)
Legese should be high on the list of 2024 Chicago Marathon betting odds, even though he has a personal-best finish of 10th in the “Windy City”. However, Legese has a pair of wins in the Tokyo Marathon in 2019 and 2020.
The top ten fastest marathons ever run.
Kelvin Kiptum 23 years 🇰🇪 — 3
Eliud Kipchoge 38 years 🇰🇪 — 5
Kenenisa Bekele 41 years 🇪🇹 — 1
Birhanu Legese 29 years 🇪🇹 — 1 pic.twitter.com/xiOUSutjbr— Wanjiku Reports (@WanjikuReports) October 9, 2023
His second-place finish at the Berlin Marathon in 2019 was good for one of the top ten fastest marathons ever. The 30-year-old Ethiopian will be a popular online sports betting pick on Sunday.
Amos Kipruto (Kenya)
Kipruto has battled injuries since winning gold at the 2022 London Marathon. However, he has returned as he wants to honor Kiptum’s memory. The 32-year-old Kenyan collapsed before the finish line at last year’s Chicago Marathon, due to abdominal pains.
Kipruto has also finished second at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, and the 2022 Tokyo Marathon. If he is back and fully healthy, I can certainly see Kipruto crossing the finish line first in Chicago this weekend!
Vincent Ngetich (Kenya)
Ngetich has a career-best finish of second place in 2023 in Berlin, and he also finished third in Tokyo back in March of this year.
🇺🇸 @ChiMarathon (13 Oct) elite fields:https://t.co/mKwqIETVlk
🏃♂️@AmoskiprutoS 🇰🇪PB 2:03:13
Vincent Ngetich 🇰🇪PB 2:03:13
Dawit Wolde 🇪🇹PB 2:03:48
+ Daniel Ebenyo’s debut (HM PB 59:04)
🏃♀️
Ruth Chepngetich 🇰🇪PB 2:14:18
Sutume Kebede 🇪🇹PB 2:15:55
Joyciline Jepkosgei 🇰🇪PB 2:16:24— Marathon News (@Marathon_N) July 18, 2024
Ngetich and Kipruto actually have the same personal-best time of 2:03:13, so it’ll be interesting to see the two Kenyans coming down the homestretch together. The 25-year-old is coming into his own, so keep an eye for his name in 2024 Chicago Marathon betting predictions.
Women’s Favorites
Next, let’s examine the women’s 2024 Chicago Marathon odds this weekend.
Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya)
Chepngetich might be considered the favorite at online sportsbooks in Chicago. The 30-year-old won this race in 2021 and 2022, and she finished second to Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands last year. Hassan is sitting out this year’s Chicago Marathon, so the runway looks clear for Chepngetich atop online sportsbooks like Bovada!
Ruth Chepngetich leads the Chicago Marathon elite line-ups.
The Kenyan will be targeting her third victory in Chicago on Sunday (October 13) whilst Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leads the men’s field.
🖊️ @jasminecollett_ https://t.co/XiLKnQgVmn
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 9, 2024
Chepngetich’s 2022 win in Chicago was the second-best time in marathon history as she ran a 2:14:18. The Kenyan should be considered a strong play in your Chicago Marathon betting predictions.
Sutume Kebede (Ethiopia)
Kebede will look to challenge Chepngetich as she won the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year with a time of 2:15:55. She defeated Hassan in that race, which is a massive accomplishment.
🇰🇪 Kenya’s Benson Kipruto and 🇪🇹 Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede cruised to victories at the Tokyo Marathon.#AfrosportTV #InsightAfrica #TokyoMarathon #Athletics pic.twitter.com/EHR9RCvQLG
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) March 4, 2024
The 29-year-old’s time in Tokyo is the fastest marathon time for women this season, and she’ll be eager to take down the queen of the “Windy City” in what should be a fantastic duel!
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya)
Don’t count out Jepkosgei, who won the 2019 New York and 2021 London Marathons. She loves London as Jepkosgei finished second there in 2022, and third in 2024. She also finished third in a recent half-marathon in the United Kingdom.
🇬🇧 @CoastHalf results:https://t.co/0OWr5CQcpl
♀️
🥇 Yalemzerf Yehualaw 🇪🇹 1:05:31
🥈 Loice Chemnung 🇰🇪 1:06:47
🥉 Joyciline Jepkosgei 🇰🇪 1:07:04
♂️
🥇 Alex Nzioka Matata 🇰🇪 59:46
🥈 Hillary Kipkoech 🇰🇪 1:00:27
🥉 Birhanu Legese 🇪🇹 1:00:27#HalfMarathon https://t.co/jO3S55t7ir— Marathon News (@Marathon_N) August 25, 2024
The 30-year-old Kenyan finished fourth in last year’s Chicago Marathon, just missing out on the podium as she ran a time of 2:17:23, and Megertu Alemu was 2:17:09. The podium is the goal for Jepkosgei at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, and perhaps, a famous victory!
Chicago Marathon Weather Predictions for 2024
The sun will rise at 7:01 AM CDT in Chicago on Sunday, October 13. The forecast in Chicago is calling for a partly cloudy day, with wind gusts over 40 miles per hour in the afternoon.
There will be a high of 66 degrees Fahrenheit in Chicago, and winds will be consistently 20-30 mph West/Northwest. The humidity index should sit at 58%, so it should be a great day for the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
Chicago Marathon by the Numbers
Let’s take a look at the 2024 Chicago Marathon as I dig into the numbers for this race on October 13.
- Over 50,000 people are expected to participate in the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
- Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya set the men’s world record here in 2023 with a time of 2:00:35.
- Brigid Kosgei, also of Kenya, set the women’s world record here in 2019 with a time of 2:13:44.
- Khalid Khannouchi of the United States has won the men’s race four times (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002).
- Liliya Shobukhova of Russia has won the women’s race three times (2009, 2010, 2011).
- Kenyan runners have won seven of the last 10 men’s Chicago Marathons, while Kenyan women have also won seven of the last 10 in their event.
Chicago Marathon Previous Winners
Past Men’s Winners
| YEAR | RUNNER | COUNTRY | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kelvin Kiptum | Kenya | 2:00:35 (World Record) |
| 2022 | Benson Kipruto | Kenya | 2:04:24 |
| 2021 | Seifu Tura | Ethiopia | 2:06:12 |
| 2020 | CANCELLED | DUE TO | PANDEMIC |
| 2019 | Lawrence Cherono | Kenya | 2:05:45 |
| 2018 | Mo Farah | United Kingdom | 2:05:11 |
| 2017 | Galen Rupp | United States | 2:09:20 |
| 2016 | Abel Kirui | Kenya | 2:11:23 |
| 2015 | Dickson Chumba | Kenya | 2:09:25 |
| 2014 | Eliud Kipchoge | Kenya | 2:04:11 |
| 2013 | Dennis Kimetto | Kenya | 2:03:45 |
Past Women’s Winners
| YEAR | RUNNER | COUNTRY | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands | 2:13:44 (World Record) |
| 2022 | Ruth Chepngetich | Kenya | 2:14:18 |
| 2021 | Ruth Chepngetich | Kenya | 2:22:31 |
| 2020 | CANCELLED | DUE TO | PANDEMIC |
| 2019 | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya | 2:14:04 |
| 2018 | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya | 2:18:35 |
| 2017 | Tirunesh Dibaba | Ethiopia | 2:18:31 |
| 2016 | Florence Kiplagat | Kenya | 2:21:32 |
| 2015 | Florence Kiplagat | Kenya | 2:23:33 |
| 2014 | Mare Dibaba | Ethiopia | 2:25:37 |
| 2013 | Rita Jeptoo | Kenya | 2:19:57 |
Chicago Marathon 2024 Predictions
I’ll stick with the favorites for my 2024 Chicago Marathon betting predictions, first on the men’s side with Kenya’s Amos Kipruto. He’s fully healthy now and will want to not only put last year’s disappointing finish behind him,but also, honor the memory of Kiptum.
On the women’s side, it’s tough to look past someone who has already finished first on two occasions, and then second. I’m taking Ruth Chepngetich for my marathon betting pick here to make it another Kenyan sweep, although Kebede will give her a run for her money!
Where to Bet on the Chicago Marathon?
The Chicago Marathon betting odds are now available at Bovada, for both the men’s and women’s races. New customers can claim a welcome bonus of up to $1,000 with a bonus code BV1000.
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