Sharon Lokedi at a previous event/ FILETwo-time Boston Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi insists she is hungry for greater success after clocking the eighth-fastest time in women’s marathon history at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
The Kenyan finished second behind Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa, who won in 2:13:33, but delivered a remarkable personal best of 2:14:07 to underline her growing status among the world’s elite marathon runners.
The 32-year-old shaved more than three minutes off her previous best of 2:17:22, set when she won the Boston Marathon in 2025, moving to eighth on the all-time women’s marathon list.
Compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich holds the world record of 2:09:56, set in Chicago in 2024. Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay (2:10:51) and Tigst Assefa (2:11:04) occupy second and third, respectively, while Feysa’s latest performance elevated her to fourth.
Despite her latest breakthrough, Lokedi remains focused on continuous improvement as she looks to achieve even greater things over the classic 42km distance.
“Every race offers an opportunity to learn and grow, and I’ll carry those lessons forward as I continue pursuing my goals,” Lokedi told Under Armour.
The Kenyan also credited the quality of international competition for pushing her to stretch her limits and improve her performances.
“Competing against the world’s best athletes is what continues to motivate me, and I’m proud of the effort I was able to put in,” she said.
Making her Chicago debut, Lokedi acknowledged that every major marathon presents different challenges, requiring athletes to adapt their endurance, race execution and tactical approach.
“Every major marathon is unique, and Chicago presents a completely different test than the races I’ve raced before,” she added.
Lokedi first made her mark over the marathon distance in 2022, winning the New York City Marathon on debut in 2:23:23. She returned in 2023 but finished third in 2:27:33 before placing second at the 2024 Boston Marathon in 2:22:45.
After a difficult ninth-place finish in New York later that year, she enjoyed a career-defining 2025 season, winning her maiden Boston title in a personal best of 2:17:22 before finishing second in New York in 2:20:07.
She successfully defended her Boston crown this year in 2:18:51 before producing her latest career-best performance in Chicago.
With two Boston titles and a New York victory already on her résumé, Lokedi’s latest achievement signals another step forward in her marathon journey.
Her focus now remains on learning from each race and challenging herself against the strongest competitors as she pursues further honours over the distance.
