Press Release - Chicago Marathon - 10/22/06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

        CHERUIYOT AND ADERE WIN THE 2006 LASALLE BANK CHICAGO MARATHON

CHICAGO  (October 22, 2006) -- Robert K. Cheruiyot (KEN) outsprinted Daniel
Njenga  (KEN) today to win an exciting LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in two
hours, seven minutes 35 seconds.

In  the  women's race, Berhane Adere (ETH) stayed back and attacked late to
win  in  2:20:42.  Galina Bogomolova (RUS) was second in 2:20:47 and Benita
Johnson (AUS) moved up to third in 2:22:36.

The  race  was run on a blustery day with light rain, strong winds from the
west  and  temperatures  in  the  low  40s F. As Cheruiyot was finishing he
slipped  and  fell  backwards, hitting his head on the ground. The two-time
winner  of  the Boston Marathon and new leader of the World Marathon Majors
series   was   evaluated  on  site  and  taken  to  a  local  hospital  for
precautionary  purposes  where  he  will be held overnight for observation.

Njenga,  who  with  Cheruiyot, broke away from Jimmy Muindi (KEN) with just
less  than  two  miles to go, finished in 2:07:40. It was the third time in
five  tries  at  Chicago that he placed second; he finished third the other
two  times.  Muindi  hung  on  for  third  in  2:07:51, while American Abdi
Abdirahman had a major breakthrough to take fourth place in a personal-best
2:08:56.  Robert Cheboror (KEN) tried to stay with the lead pack, but faded
after 20 miles and finished fifth in 2:09:25. American Brian Sell was sixth
with a personal-best 2:10:47.

In  the  women's race, Adere and Bogomolova passed early leader Constantina
Tomescu-Dita   (ROM),   who   faded  to  fifth  after  running  a  sub-2:17
course-record  pace  for  16 miles. She had led the race by two minutes, 12
seconds  before slowing down. Bogomolova and Adere passed Tomescu-Dita just
past  the 24-mile mark. They ran with each other until Adere stepped up the
pace  at  25.5  miles. Bogomolova tried to close the gap and did briefly on
the incline just before the final turn.

Madai  Perez  Carrillo (MEX) moved up with Johnson and grabbed fourth place
in  2:22:59.  Tomescu-Dita  placed  fifth  in  2:24:25 and Nuta Olaru (ROM)
finished sixth in 2:25:37.

The  men's  and  woman's  wheelchair  winners  were  Joshua George (USA) in
1:38:31 and Miriam Ladner (USA) in 2:04:21. The official number of starters
was 34,698.

                          www.chicagomarathon.com

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