Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2003: 26th edition, 32,395 finishers
Kenya's Evans Rutto won the 26th LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on 12 October 2003 in 2:05:50, the fastest marathon debut ever run, while Russia's Svetlana Zakharova took the women's race in 2:23:07.
What made 2003 notable
Chicago in 2003 produced the greatest marathon debut ever seen. Evans Rutto, a road racer stepping up to the distance for the first time, surged clear after the 19th mile and closed in 2:05:50, finishing just eight seconds outside the course record and instantly the fourth-fastest marathoner in history. No debutant had ever run faster, and none has since. Behind him Paul Koech and Daniel Njenga completed a Kenyan sweep of the men's podium. The women's race went late: Russia's Svetlana Zakharova ran down Romania's Constantina Tomescu-Dita in the closing miles to win in 2:23:07. A first come field capped at 40,000 produced 32,395 finishers.
Applications over time
Semi-elite standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 16 – 34 | 02:50:00 | 03:20:00 |
| 35 – 39 | 02:55:00 | 03:25:00 |
| 40 – 44 | 03:00:00 | 03:30:00 |
| 45 – 49 | 03:10:00 | 03:40:00 |
| 50 – 54 | 03:15:00 | 03:50:00 |
| 55 – 59 | 03:25:00 | 03:55:00 |
| 60 – 64 | 03:40:00 | 04:15:00 |
| 65 – 69 | 03:55:00 | 04:30:00 |
| 70 – 74 | 04:15:00 | 04:45:00 |
| 75 – 79 | 04:30:00 | 05:00:00 |
| 80 and over | 04:50:00 | 05:20:00 |
Questions about the 2003 ballot
Who won the 2003 Chicago Marathon?
Kenya's Evans Rutto won the men's race in 2:05:50 on his marathon debut, ahead of fellow Kenyans Paul Koech in 2:07:07 and Daniel Njenga in 2:07:41. Russia's Svetlana Zakharova won the women's race in 2:23:07, ahead of Romania's Constantina Tomescu-Dita in 2:23:35 and Latvia's Jelena Prokopcuka in 2:24:53.
Why was Evans Rutto's 2003 Chicago run notable?
It was the fastest marathon debut ever run, a record that still stands. Rutto had never raced the distance before, yet his 2:05:50 made him the fourth-fastest marathoner in history at that point, behind Paul Tergat, Sammy Korir and Khalid Khannouchi, and finished just eight seconds outside the 2:05:42 Chicago course record.
How many people finished the 2003 Chicago Marathon?
The 2003 race recorded 32,395 finishers, drawn from a field capped at 40,000 entrants.
Did the 2003 Chicago Marathon use a ballot or lottery?
No. The 2003 race used first come open registration, capped at 40,000 entrants. It was not a non-guaranteed entry drawing, so no ballot acceptance rate or application count exists for this edition. The race recorded 32,395 finishers.