Chicago Marathon: Vinny Mauri's crazy training, Lokedi vs Kosgei, Kiplimo & are the American men any good?
LetsRun.com's Track Talk: The Home of Running and Track and FieldShow Notes
The 2026 Chicago Marathon is stacked with storylines. On the men's side, Vinny Mauri, a former shoe store employee who ran 2:05 alone at Toledo, has gone viral for jaw-dropping treadmill workouts at Planet Fitness, fueling American record hopes. Rojo sparks heated debate by arguing the US has zero legitimate marathon title contenders despite record depth. The women's field is historically loaded with 12 sub-2:20 runners, led by former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and two-time Boston winner Sharon Lokedi, who's running her first flat marathon. The crew also breaks down Jacob Kiplimo's chances, weather concerns that could derail fast times, and whether super shoes benefit women more than men.
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LINKS
How Fast Can Strava Legend Vinny Mauri Run at the Chicago Marathon? (LetsRun.com)
BetterRunningShoes.com
LetsRun.com Supporters Club
LetsRun.com Homepage
Fast Women by Alison Wade (Substack)
Message Board Thread: Women's vs Men's Marathon World Record Gap
LetsRun.com YouTube Channel
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Chicago Marathon Week
02:26 Chicago Storylines and Favorites
05:59 Women's Race Preview
09:28 Weather and Race Conditions
14:49 Emma Grace Hurley's Marathon Debut
18:50 Rojo's Hot Take on US Marathoners
24:31 American Marathon Depth Debate
31:40 Olympic Marathon History and US Prospects
36:13 John Kellogg Analyzes Mauri's Training
41:30 Mauri's Training: Can It Translate?
44:00 The American Record Quest
49:53 Kiplimo and the Elite Men's Field
54:00 Women's World Record and Super Shoes
59:20 Looking Ahead to Chicago Weekend
CONTACT
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ABOUT THE LETSRUN.COM PODCAST
Since 2000, LetsRun.com has been the independent home of elite running. Described by the New York Times as the "influential website that serves as something of a superego for American running," the podcast is the weekly deep dive into the world of track and field and elite distance running.
The show is hosted by LetsRun.com co-founders Weldon Johnson, a 2-time Team USA member, and Robert Johnson, a former Cornell coach who helped pace the marathon world record, along with award-winning senior writer Jonathan Gault. Together they move beyond PR headlines to provide insider reporting and unfiltered debate serious fans rely on.
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