Full Breakdown
Izzi Batt-Doyle Shatters Australian Marathon Record at Chicago
By Drooid · · How we work
Record-Breaking Performance
On October 12, 2026, Adelaide-born Izzi Batt-Doyle finished sixth in the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2 hours 20 minutes 38 seconds. The result lowered the Australian women’s marathon record by 46 seconds, surpassing the previous mark of 2:21:24 set by fellow South Australian Jess Stenson in Valencia in 2025. Batt-Doyle’s effort placed her among the elite field that saw Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa win the women’s title in 2:13:33 and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto claim the men’s race in 2:01:09.
Historical Context of the Australian Women’s Marathon Record
The Australian record has progressed through four notable performances in the past two decades:
- Benita Willis ran 2:22:36 at Chicago in 2006, a record that stood for 16 years.
- Sinead Diver lowered the mark to 2:21:34 in Valencia in 2022.
- Jess Stenson trimmed it further to 2:21:24 in Valencia in 2025.
Batt-Doyle’s 2:20:38 now represents the third successive improvement within a four-year span, highlighting a surge in Australian women’s marathon depth.
Race Data and Splits
Batt-Doyle’s pacing was steady throughout the 42.195 km distance. Her five-kilometre splits ranged from a fastest 16:36 (35–40 km) to a slowest 16:47, yielding an almost even half-marathon split: 1:10:29 for the first half and 1:10:09 for the second, a 20-second negative split. The performance also eclipsed her previous personal best of 2:22:59 set in Valencia in 2024 by 2 minutes 21 seconds. She ran the race alongside her fiancé Riley Cocks, who paced her for the entire distance.
Impact on Australian Athletics
Batt-Doyle’s record positions her as a leading contender for the marathon at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Games. Her achievement underscores the current strength of Australian women’s distance running, where seven of the ten fastest national times are held by active athletes. The performance also reinforces Australia’s growing reputation for producing marathon talent capable of competing on the world stage.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, Batt-Doyle will target Olympic qualification standards for Los Angeles 2028, while continuing to compete in major international marathons to refine her pacing strategy. Her coaching team has indicated plans to incorporate heat-acclimation training, reflecting the warmer conditions she noted during the Chicago race.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I'm very, very happy. I feel a sense of relief, because it's something I really felt I could achieve and it's been on my mind the past couple of years,” — Izzi Batt-Doyle
- “The field here is so great, but smaller on the professional side,” — Izzi Batt-Doyle
- “We went through halfway in under the time needed to run 2:21, but I wasn't sure because I felt like I was slowing in the second half as it was warmer, and just the general fatigue of the marathon,” — Izzi Batt-Doyle
- “I really feel honoured – that sums it up,” — Izzi Batt-Doyle