Kenyans Dominate the 2016 Chicago Marathon
Abel Kirui led a wild men's race, while Florence Kiplagat repeated her 2015 title.
In ideal mid-50 degree weather, Kenya’s men and women swept the podiums at the 2016 Chicago Marathon, led by Abel Kirui and Florence Kiplagat.
Kenya's Florence Kiplagat breaks the tape at the 2016 Chicago Marathon in 2:21:32. BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON
.Kirui finished in 2:11:23, the slowest Chicago Marathon time since 1993 and the 34-year-old’s first marathon title since the 2011 IAAF World Championships. Kiplagat finished in 2:21:32, defending her 2015 victory on the same course and running the fastest women’s time in Chicago since 2013.
.
It was a tale of two races.
.
For the second year in a row, the marathon organizers opted not to provide pacesetters. It showed in the men’s field, which featured a wild yo-yoing pace that began with a lackadaisical 32:04 first 10K, then several sharp surges headlined by a 4:33 mile just beyond the halfway mark, and a thrilling battle during the final two miles up Michigan Avenue between Kirui and last year’s winner, Dickson Chumba, who finished second in 2:11:26.
“I have lost lots of races because of the craziness," Kirui said about the fluctuating pace. "It is very hard to have that kind of control. You cannot ignore when somebody goes. But you have to be careful and cautious with this kind of fartlek pace.
“I am very excited,” the two-time world champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist said. “To win a race on American soil was my big desire.”
In the women’s field, 28-year-old Kiplagat’s biting surge near mile 20 put the race away. She beat second place finisher Edna Kiplagat (no relation) by nearly two minutes.
“I was very confident during the last five kilometers,” the winning Kiplagat said. “I decided, if they can get me they will get me, but nobody was there. Nobody was running with me. I was lonely," she said, then laughed.
The victory adds to Kiplagat's resume, which includes the half marathon world record (1:05:09), a win at the 2016 Barcelona Marathon, and two victories at the Berlin Marathon since 2011.
"It was very disappointing for me when I did not make the Olympics,” Kiplagat said. “I just wanted to prove them wrong.”
The methodical pace by a tight pack of six women for the first two-thirds of the race contrasted sharply with the erratic men’s field. The women ran faster from mile 18 to 20 then their male counterparts.
Diego Estrada was the top American man, placing eighth in 2:13:56. This was the 26-year-old’s first marathon finish. The performance came despite twisting his right ankle on a water bottle, then falling at the 10K aid station and almost dropping out.
“It was a split-second decision,” Estrada said. “I wasn’t sure if I should drop out, but with the year I’ve had—I dropped out of the marathon Olympic Trials [in February]—I told myself it wasn’t an option.”
He said quitting crossed his mind again at mile 17, but he forged on.
“I thought, ‘I have to find something in me and finish the race and not let the past get in the way of this.’ I persevered and did what I could,” Estrada said.
“It was a split-second decision,” Estrada said. “I wasn’t sure if I should drop out, but with the year I’ve had—I dropped out of the marathon Olympic Trials [in February]—I told myself it wasn’t an option.”
He said quitting crossed his mind again at mile 17, but he forged on.
“I thought, ‘I have to find something in me and finish the race and not let the past get in the way of this.’ I persevered and did what I could,” Estrada said.
Elkanah Kibet, 10th in 2:16:37, was the only other American in the top 10. Luke Puskedra, who placed fourth at the Marathon Trials, finished 19th in 2:20:18, almost 10 minutes off the 2:10:24 PR he set at Chicago last year.
The top American woman, Serena Burla from Stafford, Virginia, finished seventh in 2:30:40. She was followed by Sarah Crouch, ninth in 2:33:48, and Alia Gray, 10th in a PR of 2:34:00.
No comments:
Post a Comment