Esa claims a proud fifth on the streets of Chicago

NN Running Team duo Mohamed Esa and Geoffrey Kamworor ran with pride in the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon to place fifth and seventh, respectively, in a high-class men’s elite race.

Esa, who finished runner-up in the previous edition, finished strongly to cross the finish line at Grant Park in 2:04:50 – just 11 seconds shy of his PB.

Meanwhile, the experienced Kamworor, who sat in fourth at mile 24, registered 2:05:31 to claim another top ten finish in an Abbott World Marathon Major.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo – who for much of the race was running a projected world record – claimed victory in 2:02:23 to climb to seventh on the all-time lists. Kenyan duo Amos Kipruto (2:03:54) and Alex Masai (2:04:37) completed the podium.

On a bright sunny morning and temperatures of 13c, Kamworor and Esa were happy to position themselves in the chase pack for much of the race.

While a five-strong lead group rattled through 10km in 28:25 – Kamworor and Esa split 29:17 in the pursuing group.

At halfway the 12-strong chase group – containing both Kamworor and Esa - went through 21.1km in 1:02:18. Out front John Korir, the 2024 champion, lead a four-strong lead group under world record pace in 1:00:16.

Remarkably the pace at the front increase and through 25km – reached in 1:11:12 – Korir and Kiplimo were now locked in a head-to-head showdown at the front.

Kamworor and Esa was safely ensconced in the chase pack - 2:26 behind the leaders.

Kiplimo had seized control of the race by 30km (1:25:31) opening up a 12-second gap on Korir, who was later to abandon attempts to complete the race. Kamworor, the two-time former TCS New York City Marathon winner, was content to bide his time and at 30km (1:28:21) he sat sixth with Esa two seconds further back in eighth.

By mile 21, Kamworor had advanced to fourth as he stepped up his challenge for a potential podium spot with Esa a further seven seconds further back in seventh.

Leading into the mile 24, Kamworor had whittled the gap down to third placed Philemon Kiplimo to just 14 seconds, although the NN Running Team athlete now had both Masai and American Conner Mantz for company. Esa was seventh, a further 14 seconds back.

It was all change in the latter stages as Kamworor started to fade and Esa strengthened his challenge.

While Kiplimo took the honours from Kipruto, Masai and Mantz, who went on to set a US record of 2:04:43, passed Kamworor.

Just beyond the final mile, Esa also leapfrogged Kamworor, although both NN Running Team athletes can be immensely proud of their efforts in a memorable edition of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

In the women’s elite race, Haven Hailu, the solo NN Running Team representative was sat in sixth before registering a DNF just before the 35km mark.

Victory was claimed by Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia, who climbed to fifth on the all-time list, registering 2:14:56. Her compatriot Megertu Alemu placed second in 2:17:18 with Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania (2:18:13) completing the podium.