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.
Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle
"I had a really great race together with Susannah Scaroni," Debrunner said. "She pushed so hard and yeah, we did it together, like in Berlin also. And then she attacked really hard at the last hill."
Check back for more on this developing story.
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