Izzi Batt-Doyle broke the Australian women’s marathon record at the Chicago Marathon, running a time of two hours, 20 minutes, and 38 seconds to finish sixth in the professional division, The Guardian reported. Her performance clipped 46 seconds off the previous national mark set by Jess Stenson in 2025.
Izzi Batt-Doyle Claims National Record in Chicago
The 31-year-old South Australian athlete shaved two minutes and 21 seconds off her previous personal best, which she recorded in Valencia in 2024. Batt-Doyle crossed the finish line in a time of 2:20:38, raising her arms in jubilation before embracing her fiancé, Riley Cocks, who paced her for the entire 42.2-kilometre course and finished seconds behind. According to ABC News, Batt-Doyle’s splits remained remarkably consistent, with every 5km block landing between 16:36 and 16:47.
“I’m very, very happy,” Batt-Doyle said after the race. “I feel a sense of relief, because it’s something I really felt I could achieve and it’s been on my mind the past couple of years.”
Pacing Strategy and Weather Conditions in Illinois
Batt-Doyle and Cocks ran an isolated race from the early stages after the starting gun fired. “The gun went off and second kilometre it was just the two of us, because we were running between groups,” she told ABC News. The pair executed a negative split, crossing the halfway mark in 1:10:29 before running the second half in approximately 1:10:09.
Despite warmer-than-ideal weather conditions in Chicago, Batt-Doyle maintained her stride by hydrating heavily beforehand and splashing three or four cups of water over herself at every aid station. Her fastest 5km split of the race, 16:36, occurred between the 35km and 40km marks as she closed in on the finish.
Historical Context of Australian Women’s Marathons
With her run in Chicago, Batt-Doyle joins a short list of recent record-holders who have lowered the Australian women’s marathon benchmark. Benita Willis held the national mark at 2:22:36 following the 2006 Chicago Marathon.
Batt-Doyle was already the Australian record-holder in both the half-marathon and the 10,000m, and she is a two-time Olympian in the 5000m. She stated that her latest performance builds momentum toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Games in Brisbane.
Elite International Podium Results in Chicago
In the wider elite women’s race, Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa successfully defended her Chicago Marathon title. Feysa crossed the finish line in 2:13:33 after shaking off a persistent challenge from Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi during the final eight kilometres. Lokedi, who won back-to-back Boston Marathons, finished second in 2:14:07.
In the men’s division, Kenya’s Amos Kipruto claimed victory with a winning time of 2:01:09.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Record Run
How much did Izzi Batt-Doyle improve her personal best?
Batt-Doyle lowered her previous personal best marathon time by two minutes and 21 seconds, improving from her 2:22:59 finish in Valencia in 2024 down to 2:20:38 in Chicago.
Who paced Izzi Batt-Doyle during the Chicago Marathon?
Her fiancé, Riley Cocks, ran alongside her for the entire distance, helping her maintain a steady pacing strategy that yielded a negative split across the two halves of the race.
What were the previous Australian marathon records?
Jess Stenson held the immediately preceding record at 2:21:24, set in 2025. Before that, Sinead Diver ran 2:21:34 in 2022, and Benita Willis held the mark at 2:22:36 from 2006 until 2022.
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