[4] Seifu Tura of Ethiopia, the winner of the previous year's race, was expected to return to defend his title.
[5] His compatriot Herpasa Negasa, who ran a marathon with a time of 2:03:40 in Dubai in 2019, was expected to join him.
[6][7] Also expected to make an appearance were Kenyan runners Bernard Koech and Elisha Rotich.
[6] Kenyan runner Ruth Chepng'etich, the defending champion, was the favorite to win the women's race.
[6] U.S. wheelchair athlete Tatyana McFadden, who had previously won the Chicago Marathon nine times, was also expected to defend her title.