Galen Rupp Shatters the American Masters Marathon Record in Chicago—and Runs His Fastest Time in 5 Years

Galen Rupp was the Chicago Marathon champion in 2017, breaking the tape in 2:09:20. Seven months later, in May 2018, he won the Prague Marathon in 2:06:07, and it seemed like only a matter of time until he’d break the American record, which was then 2:05:38—set by Khalid Khannouchi in 2002.But Rupp never did.A pandemic, and a series of injuries and surgeries conspired to keep the four-time Olympian—and two-time medalist—from ever bettering that Prague effort.Now Conner Mantz holds the American record (2:04:43), which he set in 2025, and a bunch of younger athletes are clamoring to break that mark.But Rupp, now 40 and back in Chicago for the sixth time, finished in 2:06:54, finishing in 11th place and as the fourth American.He shattered the American masters record—2:10:02, set by Elkanah Kibet at the 2024 Olympic Trials—by more than three minutes.The signs were there: Rupp ran 1:01:30 for the half marathon in August. And today he ran relatively even half marathons (1:03:01 and 1:03:53), moving up 10 places over the course of the second half.It’s not the record he would have pictured in his long career, but it’s one that will likely last a good long time.Find Your Next Running PlaylistSarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!