It’s no secret that Canadian Olympian Rory Linkletter is chasing both a personal best and a national record at Sunday’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon. But at Friday’s elite press conference, Linkletter made another kind of statement, this time with his outfit, showing up in a full Canadian tuxedo as he fielded questions from the media.
While defending Chicago Marathon champion, John Korir, and half-marathon world record holder, Jacob Kiplimo, sported Nike tracksuits, Linkletter walked onto the stage with signature Canadian flair: a Levi’s jean jacket, slim denim jeans and a long blonde mullet, looking more like he’d just stepped out of a Bruce Springsteen concert than into a marathon elite press conference.
On Sunday, Linkletter will target the Canadian and North American marathon record of 2:05:36, set by Cam Levins in 2023. His personal best stands at 2:07:02 from the Boston Marathon earlier this year, where he placed sixth. Just a month later, he finished runner-up at the Ottawa International Marathon, clocking 2:08:31 behind Kenya’s Albert Korir.
Linkletter says his Chicago buildup has been one of the best of his career, marked by lifetime-best workouts and peak mileage weeks of 210–220 kilometres. “It’s a different beast to be openly targeting something this big,” he said. “I’ve found some peace as the race approaches.”
His only tune-up race ahead of Chicago came in mid-August at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, where he outkicked Levins to take the win in 63:00.
Chicago will also mark Linkletter’s first flat marathon since the 2024 Seville Marathon, where he ran 2:08:01 to secure his spot on Team Canada for the Paris Olympics. His last four marathons in Paris, New York, Boston and Ottawa, were all on more challenging, hilly courses.
Linkletter won’t be the only North American eyeing a record on Sunday. His former Brigham Young University (BYU) teammate, Conner Mantz, is aiming for the American marathon record of 2:05:38, set by Khalid Khannouchi in 2002. Linkletter said he’s excited to work together with Mantz to chase their shared goal.
How to watch
To watch the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon live, you can tune into one of the several live streaming options: NBC 5 Chicago, Telemundo Chicago or FloTrack (with subscription). These streams will provide complete live coverage of the marathon from 8 a.m. to noon. ET.
