Two-Time Olympic Medalist Galen Rupp and American Marathon Debut Record Holder Jordan Hasay Headline Strong Field of American Runners at the 40th Annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Running Legend and 1984 Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson Chasing Age Group World Record and Sub-Three Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp and American marathon debut record holder Jordan Hasay will lead a deep field of American contenders at the 40th annual Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Adding an exclamation point to the elite athlete field, 1984 Olympic gold medalist and 1985 Chicago Marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson will toe the line in an attempt to set an age group world record.
"Galen and Jordan are huge talents who have the ability to capture podium finishes. The last time we had an American male and female place in the top three together was 1996. And we have a deep field of Americans who can shake things up this year - Luke Puskedra, Diego Estrada, Sam Chelanga, Sarah Crouch, Becky Wade and Alia Gray, to name a few," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "And Joanie is a legend. To have Joan attempting a record in Chicago allows us the opportunity to celebrate her as an American icon and running legend."
AMERICAN MEN'S FIELD
Rupp, a three-time Olympian, an eight-time USATF 10,000m champion and a member of the Nike Oregon Project, made his marathon debut in 2016 by winning the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. He currently holds four American records in 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 (PR) of 12:58.90 puts him in an exclusive category of American runners - he is one of only six Americans to break 13:00 for the distance. At the 2012 London Olympics, Rupp became the first American since 1964 to land on the podium; he captured the silver medal after a final 400m lap in a blazing 53.8 seconds. 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. He followed his Olympic performance with a strong run in Boston in April, finishing second in 2:09:58.
Sam Chelanga, a two-time NCAA champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m and the NCAA 10,000m record holder, will make his second attempt at the marathon distance. After becoming a U.S. citizen in 2015, Chelanga (with a half marathon personal best of 1:01:04) made his marathon debut at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. After briefly moving to the front of the race amid hot and humid conditions, he eventually lost contact with the lead pack and dropped out. In 2016, Chelanga won the U.S. 10 Mile Championships, and he has started 2017 with a bang, winning both the World's Best 10K in San Juan and the New York Healthy Kidney 10K. He also finished 11th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Luke Puskedra and Jeffrey Eggleston boast impressive résumés with 2:10 marathon performances. Puskedra experienced a breakthrough at the 2015 Chicago Marathon, smashing his PR by five minutes and stopping the clock in 2:10:24, making him the fastest American marathon runner in 2015. He narrowly missed out on the opportunity to represent the U.S. in Rio when he finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2016. He started 2017 with a strong performance in Boston, finishing ninth in 2:14:45.
Eggleston made his marathon debut in 2010 and ran his personal best (2:10:52) at the 2014 Gold Coast Airport Marathon in Australia. He has represented the U.S. at three IAAF World Championships in the marathon (2011, 2013 and 2015), finishing as high as 13th in 2013. He kicked off 2017 with back-to-back marathons, finishing fourth in Warsaw in April and then winning the Movistar Marathon in Lima, Peru in May.
