Izzi Batt-Doyle is the new distance queen of Australian athletics, smashing the national record by more than 45 seconds with a blistering run in the United States. Batt-Doyle clocked a time of two hours 20 minutes 38 seconds on her way to sixth place in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday (local time).
The 31-year-old took 46 seconds off the previous Australian record of 2:21:24, set by Jess Stenson in 2025. Batt-Doyle is a two-time Olympian in the 5000m, and was already the Australian record-holder in the half-marathon and 10,000m.
She said she was inspired by former Australian record-holder Benita Willis on her way to her 2:20:38 time in Chicago that improved her own personal best by an incredible two minutes. Willis ran 2:22:36 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon, a time that stood as the Australian record until Sinead Diver (2:21:34) lowered it in 2022, before Stenson clocked 2:21:24 in 2025.
Now Batt-Doyle has obliterated that mark as she builds momentum towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and the 2032 Games in Brisbane.
Batt-Doyle raised her arms in jubilation as she crossed the finish line in Chicago, before embracing her fiance Riley Cocks, who ran with her the whole way and finished seconds behind.
“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,’’ Batt-Doyle said after her record-breaking effort. “I’m really proud I could achieve it.
“Most of the race I was fortunate my fiance Riley was running with me. I spent most of the race trusting our plan and the pacing strategy we had hoped to run halfway in and hoped that I would feel strong in the second half. I knew I was going to get under 2:21 … I was able to celebrate the last 150 metres and seeing the clock, I gave a few fist pumps and smiles.’’
The South Australian’s previous best marathon time was the 2:22:59 she recorded at Valencia in 2024. Batt-Doyle had been building some impressive form over the past 12 months. She ran 2:25:06 at this year’s Boston Marathon before recording four half-marathon wins in Australia between May and August.
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On Sunday, Ethiopian Hawi Feysa retained her Chicago crown in a heavyweight clash with Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi, breaking the tape in 2:13:33. Back-to-back Boston winner Lokedi (2:14:07) battled with Feysa through much of the final 8km but could not hang on as the Ethiopian slammed her foot on the gas.
