Daniel Romanchuk has just defended his title in the men's wheelchair race at the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. 

Facing tight competition, 21-year-old Romanchuk cruised to a repeat victory in the race after breaking away from the pack in a major way. 

He finished 2018 by becoming the first American male and the youngest athlete to win the wheelchair competition at the TCS New York City Marathon, and he welcomed 2019 with a runner-up finish in Tokyo and a pair of crowns at both the Boston and London marathons. is Boston win came with an added bonus: a new PR, 1:21:36. He did not beat that time in Chicago's race, however. 

Chicago's course is chosen by many elite athletes due in part to its largely flat route, which paves the way for record-breaking potential. But this year held an even bigger reward for wheelchair athletes. 

Para-athletes also used the marathon to compete for a slot on Team USA at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. 

Romanchuk is a current member of the University of Illinois Wheelchair Racing Team.