Dickson Chumba of Kenya was a relative unknown until he burst onto the scene in 2014 with a win and course record at the Tokyo Marathon.

He followed that performance with a third-place showing at the 2014 Chicago Marathon in a new personal best, 2:04:32.

The Chicago Marathon gives Chumba the opportunity to beat Endeshaw Negesse, the runner who unseated him as champion of the Tokyo Marathon in February, where Chumba finished third.