Catherine Debrunner’s staggering dominance in women’s wheelchair racing continued unabated as she captured her second consecutive Bank of America Chicago Marathon title.
After setting the course record last year in her Chicago debut, Debrunner obliterated that record again on Sunday, posting a time of just over an hour and 36 minutes as she cruised to victory over fellow Swiss athlete Manuela Schar and American competitor Tatyana McFadden.
Debrunner cashes in a $50,000 bonus for breaking the course record in Chicago, doing so for the second consecutive year.
The 29-year-old began competing in 2015, according to the Chicago Marathon’s media guide, and it didn’t take long for her to make her mark. Her dominance in long-distance racing began in 2022 when she captured the title in the Berlin Marathon, her first-ever race at the distance. She ended up winning back-to-back Berlin Marathons, including setting a world record time of 1:34:16 in the 2023 edition of the event.
Debrunner is also the three-time reigning champion in the London Marathon, and captured her first New York City Marathon title in 2023.
In addition to her prowess in the marathon, DeBrunner is an accomplished sprint racer, having won five gold medals in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris. She won a silver medal in the 100-meter race, but captured gold in the 400-meter, 800-meter, 1500-meter, 5000-meter and the marathon in one of the most incredible performances in the history of the event.
In recognition of her staggering performances, Debrunner was awarded the 2023 Laureus Sports Person of the Year with a Disability award.
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