FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dickson Chumba and Florence Kiplagat Claim Victory in Chicago
Deena Kastor breaks American Master's Record and Tatyana McFadden Breaks
Wheelchair Course Record; Professional Wheelchair Athletes Selected for
2016 U.S. Paralympic Team
CHICAGO -- In today's Bank of America Chicago Marathon, more than 37,000
runners crossed the finish line in Grant Park on a sun kissed day with
strong winds out of the southwest. For the first time in more than two
decades, pacesetters were not at the helm of the race, and in a strategic
competition up front, the men's race saw a Kenyan sweep with Dickson Chumba
running away from the field in 2:09:25, Sammy Kitwara finishing as the
runner-up for the second time in 2:09:50, and newcomer to the Abbott World
Marathon Majors (AWMM), Sammy Ndungu, sprinting down the homestretch for
third in 2:10:06.
"I am proud of the running from our athletes today, and it was so
satisfying to deliver compelling competition without pacers," said Carey
Pinkowski, executive race director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
"I must call out the record-breaking performances: Tatyana set a new
wheelchair course record and Deena made running look effortless when she
set a new Master's record."
Florence Kiplagat (KEN), the reigning half marathon world record holder,
captured her third Abbott World Marathon Majors win after picking up a pair
of wins at the 2011 and 2013 BMW BERLIN Marathon, breaking the tape first
in 2:23:33. Yebrgual Melese (ETH) held on for second in 2:23:43, and
Birhane Dibaba (ETH), secured a podium finish in 2:24:24, moving her into
second place on the AWMM leader board.
After setting the world master's half marathon record in 2014, American
Deena Kastor continued her campaign by breaking Colleen De Reuck's American
Master's marathon record, running 2:27:47 to also finish as the seventh
overall female.
In the women's wheelchair competition, Tatyana McFadden (USA) handily
defended her title in a course record time, 1:41:10, taking home her fifth
straight victory and her sixth win at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
since her 2009 debut. The men's competition featured another thrilling
finish with the top 11 men finishing within 13 seconds of each other. Kurt
Fearnley (AUS) beat his competitors to the line in 1:30:46, earning his
fifth career Chicago Marathon victory. In a photo finish for second place,
Marcel Hug (SUI) held off 2014 champion Joshua George (Champaign, Ill.),
both clocking 1:30:48.
The Men's Race
Without the use of pacesetters ("rabbits"), the men's race moved out at a
pedestrian pace with 11 men bunched into a tight pack through the first
five kilometers. American Elkanah Kibet bravely surged ahead and opened a
15 second gap on the chase pack, but the eight men behind him reeled him in
before 15K. All nine contenders hit the half in 1:05:13, and the group
remained huddled together through 30K.
As the group neared the 20-mile mark, the field seemed content to wait for
someone to make the first move. Dickson Chumba, Sammy Kitwara and Abera
Kuma (ETH) answered the call, hitting the gas pedal at mile 20, and
breaking the pack with a 4:35 mile.
With Kuma fading to seventh place, Chumba, the third place finisher in
2014, continued to push ahead, and by mile 24, he had opened a 20 second
gap on Kitwara. Chumba hit the tape first, earning his second AWMM career
victory with a 2:09:25 finish. Kitwara finished as the runner-up for the
second time in 2:09:50, and Sammy Ndungu edged Girmay Birhanu Gebru at the
line to claim third in 2:10:06.
American Luke Puskedra (Eugene, Ore.) experienced a breakthrough race,
subtracting five minutes from his personal best to notch a top five finish
in 2:10:24, the fastest time by an American in 2015. Americans Elkanah
Kibet (Fayetteville, NC) and Fernando Cabada (Fresno, Calif.) finished
seventh and tenth, respectively, the first time since 2007 that three
American men have placed inside the top ten.
The Women's Race
Unlike the men's race, the women's race started aggressively. Kayoko
Fukushi (JPN), the 2011 Chicago Marathon runner-up, led a pack of six
through the 5K on sub 2:20 pace. The women accelerated through seven miles,
but slowed before the 15K as they turned into a strong headwind.
The same group of six hit the half way mark in 1:10:28 and remained
together until two-time Berlin Marathon winner, Florence Kiplagat, and
Yebrgual Melese, put some strides on the field at mile 22. Kiplagat finally
pulled away from Melese around 40K. Kiplagat held on strong to finish first
in 2:23:33, moving her to fourth place on the AWMM leaderboard with 26
points. Melese finished ten seconds back in 2:23:43, and Dibaba held off
Fukushi by one second to claim third place in 2:24:24.
On the tenth anniversary of her victory in Chicago, Deena Kastor (Mammoth
Lake, Calif.) finished in seventh place in 2:27:47, breaking the American
Master's Record, 2:28:40, set by Colleen De Reuck at the 2005 Chicago
Marathon. Kastor now owns the second (2:21:25), fourth (2:26:53) and
seventh fastest times run by an American woman on the Chicago Marathon
course. American Sara Hall (Redding, Calif.) lopped 17 minutes off of her
debut her time to finish tenth in 2:31:14.
The Professional Wheelchair Race - Course Record and U.S. Paralympic Trials
Tatyana McFadden continued to rewrite the record books by taking a minute
and twenty-five seconds off of the course record she set in 2013, finishing
this year in 1:41:10. Her decisive victory - her fifth consecutive in
Chicago - marked her 15th World Marathon Majors win, and it sets her up for
a third straight grand slam if she wins New York (in 2013 and 2014, she won
four majors in the same year: Boston, London, Chicago and New York). For
the third straight year, Manuela Schaer (SUI) finished second to McFadden;
she also finished under the previous course record (1:42:35), clocking
1:41:56.
Kurt Fearnley (AUS), the Chicago Marathon 2014 runner-up, finished ahead of
one of the most competitive wheelchair races in event history. Eleven men
made the turn from Roosevelt Road onto Columbus Drive within seconds of
each other. Fearnley, who owns nine medals - two gold - from the 2004 and
2008 Paralympic Games, charged ahead of the group to break the tape first.
Chicago Marathon newcomer, Marcel Hug, lived up to his nickname - the
"silver bullet" - as he edged 2014 Chicago Marathon champion, Joshua
George, for second place in a photo finish.
The 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon also served as the U.S.
Paralympic Trials. The top two American male and female finishers punched
their tickets to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Joining Tatyana McFadden on
the road to Rio is third place finisher, Chelsea McClammer (Benton City,
Wash.). Joshua George and seventh place finisher, Aaron Pike (Champaign,
Ill.), will represent the U.S. on the men's side.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 38th year, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes thousands
of runners from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including a
world-class elite field, top regional and masters runners, race veterans,
debut marathoners and charity runners. The race's iconic course takes
runners through 29 vibrant neighborhoods on an architectural and cultural
tour of Chicago. As a result of the race's national and international draw,
the Chicago Marathon assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety
of charitable causes while generating $254 million in annual economic
impact to its host city. The 2015 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a
member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. For more information about the
event and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com.
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