Sports
A world record on wheels in Chicago
Catherine Debrunner set a new wheelchair marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon on October 11, 2026.
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, Swiss athlete Catherine Debrunner won the women's wheelchair race at the Chicago Marathon. She finished in 1 hour, 33 minutes and 16 seconds, which was a new world record. According to the race organizers, it was the first wheelchair world record ever set in Chicago.
The Chicago Marathon starts and finishes in Grant Park, and its course passes through 29 of the city's neighborhoods. The 2026 race was the 48th Chicago Marathon, and more than 54,000 people took part.
Word in this story
The route or path that the athletes follow in a race, from the start to the finish.
Chicago's course is flat, but it has many turns, which can be difficult for wheelchair racers.