Australian long-distance runner Izzi Batt-Doyle set a new national marathon record with a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 38 seconds at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, substantially lowering the previous benchmark by 46 seconds. The 31-year-old, a two-time Olympian in the 5000 meters event, finished sixth in the race held in the United States.

Batt-Doyle surpassed the Australian record of 2:21:24, established by Jess Stenson in 2025. Prior to this achievement, Batt-Doyle also held the national records for the half-marathon and 10,000 meters. Her performance in Chicago marked a personal best improvement of two minutes over her previous marathon time of 2:22:59, set at the Valencia Marathon in 2024.

Reflecting on her record-breaking run, Batt-Doyle credited former Australian marathoner Benita Willis as an inspiration. Willis set a record of 2:22:36 at the Chicago Marathon in 2006, which stood until Sinead Diver bettered it in 2022 with a time of 2:21:34, before Stenson's 2025 performance.

Batt-Doyle highlighted the strategic pacing plan she and her fiancé, Riley Cocks, had prepared for the race. Cocks ran alongside her throughout the course, finishing just seconds behind. “Most of the race I was fortunate my fiancé Riley was running with me. I spent most of the race trusting our plan and the pacing strategy we had hoped to run halfway in and hoped that I would feel strong in the second half,” Batt-Doyle said. “I knew I was going to get under 2:21 ... I was able to celebrate the last 150 metres and seeing the clock, I gave a few fist pumps and smiles.”

In addition to her marathon success, Batt-Doyle had demonstrated strong form throughout 2026, including a 2:25:06 finish at the Boston Marathon earlier in the year and four half-marathon victories in Australian races between May and August.

At the elite level of the Chicago Marathon, Ethiopian runner Haile Feysa successfully defended his title, winning in 2:13:33 after a close contest with Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, who finished second in 2:14:07. Lokedi, a two-time Boston Marathon winner, maintained pressure through much of the race but was ultimately outpaced by Feysa in the final kilometers.

Batt-Doyle’s new national record and consistent competitive performances position her as a leading contender for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, as she continues to build momentum on the world stage.