FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stephen Sambu to Make His 26.2-Mile Debut
at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Sambu Holds the Record for the World’s Fastest 8K
CHICAGO - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon today announced that the
world’s fastest 8K road runner and back-to-back Bank of America Shamrock
Shuffle champion, Stephen Sambu (Tucson, Ariz.), will make his highly
anticipated marathon debut in Chicago on October 9.
Sambu follows in the footsteps of some of racing's biggest legends who made
their running debuts in Chicago. Fearless and aggressive from the start,
runner Steve Jones burst onto the marathon scene in 1984 to set a world
record in his debut with a time of 2:08:05. Former world record-holder
Khalid Khannouchi toed the line for the first time in 1997, running 2:07:10
to set a course, debut and North American record. Ondoro Orso followed in
1998 to crack Khannouchi’s time with a finish of 2:06:54 to set a new
course, debut, North American and Kenyan national record. In 2005, Evans
Rutto elevated the running game with a new debut record of 2:05:50, and
Ethiopian Ejegayehu Dibaba ran the second-fastest debut for women in 2011
at 2:22:09.
"The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has a long tradition of featuring the
world’s best athletes making their marathon debuts right here," said Bank
of America Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "To
have Stephen Sambu, a person with deep integrity on top of being a talented
athlete, add his name to that legacy is truly exciting. He’s one of the
most highly rated athletes on the road today who isn’t afraid to go to the
well and put in the work. He loves the energy of racing in our city."
Sambu, a native of Kenya living and training in Arizona, stands out as one
of the best competitors on the road racing circuit today. He entered the
record books in 2014 when he posted a time of 22:01 in the 8K en route to a
10K victory at the Boston Athletic Association 10K. He made his debut in
the Windy City at the 2015 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle, running
uncontested with the fastest time in more than a decade and the
12th-fastest time in the event’s history. He returned in 2016 on the heels
of capturing a victory at the New York City Half Marathon to run the
fourth-fastest time in that event’s history with a time of 22:46, beating
his nearest challenger by 66 seconds.
"I'm excited to make my first marathon appearance in Chicago because of the
strong history of runners making their debut here," says Sambu. "I'm
training very hard and can't wait to race in front of the fans. I love the
flat streets of the city, and I look forward to coming back."
Prior to his professional running career, Sambu spent some time in Illinois
at Rend Lake Junior College, where he captured 10 individual national
championships, including two National Junior College Athletic Association
(NJCAA) national cross country titles. He finished his career at the
University of Arizona, where he emerged as a seven-time National Collegiate
Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American. He was the 2011 PAC 10 10,000m
champion and the 2012 PAC 12 10,000m champion. Sambu holds personal records
of 13:13 in the 5,000m, 26:54 in the 10,000m, and 1:00:41 in the half
marathon. His 10K best on the road, 27:25, is the 18th fastest time in
history.
About the Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 39th 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. In 2015, an estimated 1.7 million spectators lined the
streets cheering on 37,459 runners from the start line to the final stretch
down Columbus Drive. 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 2016 Bank of America Chicago
Marathon, a member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will start and
finish in Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 9. In
advance of the race, a two-day Abbott Health & Fitness Expo will be held at
McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday, October 7, and Saturday,
October 8. For more information about the event and how to get involved, go
to chicagomarathon.com.
Visit theBank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news, and click
here to register for news email alerts.
chicagomarathon.com
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