Cool and dry after a forecast of cold and rain failed to materialise, with strong headwinds in the second half
2002 Ballot results
The datasheet
Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2002 ballot: 25th edition, 31,093 finishers
Britain's Paula Radcliffe won the 25th LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on 13 October 2002 in 2:17:18, a women's marathon world best that cut 1 minute 29 seconds off the record, while Khalid Khannouchi took the men's race in 2:05:56.
Edition
25th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
31,093
Total finishers
Race day
Oct 13
2002
Time qualifier
M2:50 W3:20
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2002 notable
Chicago in 2002 belonged to Paula Radcliffe. In only her second marathon the Briton ran 2:17:18, a women's world best that erased Catherine Ndereba's record by 1 minute 29 seconds and confirmed Radcliffe as the dominant distance runner of her era. Ndereba chased her home in 2:19:26, the first sub-2:20 marathon by a woman that did not win, with Japan's Yoko Shibui third. The men's race was nearly an afterthought: Khalid Khannouchi, now running for the United States, won in 2:05:56, the fourth-fastest performance ever at the time, holding off Daniel Njenga and Toshinari Takaoka. A threatened cold front never arrived, though headwinds bit late. The race recorded 31,093 finishers.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2022 → 2026
80K86K123K160K200K
'22'23'24'25'26
Qualifying
Time qualifier standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:50:00 | 3:20:00 |
| 35-39 | 2:55:00 | 3:25:00 |
| 40-44 | 3:00:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:10:00 | 3:40:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:15:00 | 3:50:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:25:00 | 3:55:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:40:00 | 4:15:00 |
| 65-69 | 3:55:00 | 4:30:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:15:00 | 4:45:00 |
| 75-79 | 4:30:00 | 5:00:00 |
| 80-84 | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 |
| 85-89 | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 |
| 90+ | 4:50:00 | 5:20:00 |
FAQ
Questions about the 2002 ballot
Who won the 2002 Chicago Marathon?
Britain's Paula Radcliffe won the women's race in 2:17:18, a marathon world best, ahead of Kenya's Catherine Ndereba in 2:19:26 and Japan's Yoko Shibui in 2:21:22. Khalid Khannouchi, running for the United States, won the men's race in 2:05:56, ahead of Kenya's Daniel Njenga and Japan's Toshinari Takaoka, both timed at 2:06:16.
Why was the 2002 Chicago Marathon notable?
Paula Radcliffe ran 2:17:18 to set a women's marathon world best, taking 1 minute 29 seconds off the previous mark held by Catherine Ndereba. Ndereba finished second in 2:19:26, the first time a woman had run under 2:20 in a marathon and not won.
How many people finished the 2002 Chicago Marathon?
The 2002 race recorded 31,093 finishers, made up of 18,111 men and 12,982 women.
Did the 2002 Chicago Marathon use a ballot or lottery?
No. The 2002 race used open registration with an entrant cap rather than a non-guaranteed entry drawing, so no ballot acceptance rate or application count exists for this edition. The race recorded 31,093 finishers.
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