Marcel Hug breaks own course record in men's wheelchair victory at 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Marcel Hug, known as the "silver bullet," defended his championship status at the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and did it in record-breaking fashion once again.
Hug finished the men's wheelchair race with an unofficial course record, topping the record he set on the course in 2022.
Hug, of Switzerland, entered the race as one of the most dominant athletes and a top contender to medal after he beat the course record of 1:26:56 by finishing the 2022 race in 1:25:20. This year, he sailed to a victory in the men's wheelchair race with an unofficial time of 1:22:37.
He defeated former champion Daniel Romanchuk, one of his biggest rivals on the course. Hug and Romanchuk have battled it out for years in Chicago.
Hug also won the Chicago Marathon in 2016 and 2017.
Catherine Debrunner sprints to 2023 Chicago Marathon victory with unofficial record in women's wheelchair race
Newcomer Catherine Debrunner won the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon wheelchair race Sunday, beating defending champion and fierce competitor Susannah Scaroni in a nail-biting sprint to the finish.
The 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon is just the fourth marathon of Debrunner's career. She finished with an unofficial time of 1:38:44, a time that would top the course record of 1:39:15 in the women's wheelchair race.
- "Yeah, it was an amazing race. It's the first time I am in Chicago," Debrunner said. "And I must say, I really love the city. It's beautiful. The lake with the skyline."
Debrunner had never competed in a marathon before stunning the field in the 2022 Berlin Marathon, capturing the top spot with a time of 1:36:47. She also won the London Marathon a week later.
Before competing in marathons, Debrunner was a gold medalist in a slew of events at the 2019 and 2023 World Para Athletics Championships, including the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m races.
Her 2023 win came just seconds ahead of Scaroni as the two battled it out on the course for the entire race.
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