CHICAGO – Brigid Kosgei of Kenya won the Chicago Marathon on Sunday in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 4 seconds to break the world record in the event.
The 25-year-old Kosgei bested the previous mark of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe in London 16 years ago. Kosgei won in Chicago last year in 2:18:35.
“I’m feeling good and I am happy because I was not expected to run like this,” Kosgei said.
Kosgei’s run came little more than 24 hours after fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to run 26.2 miles in less than two hours, clocking 1:59:41 in Vienna. Unlike Kipchoge’s performance, however, Kosgei’s mark was set in an official race on a record-eligible course.
Radcliffe first set a world record at Chicago in 2002 before besting her own mark a year later in London.
“It was 17 years ago exactly today that I set the first world record here in Chicago,” said Radcliffe, who attended Sundays’ race. “That was a special day for me today and it’s a very special day for Brigid today.”
Durango’s Laura Thweatt, 29, finished in eighth place with a time of 2:29:06. She was the fourth-fastest American on a standout day for the U.S. Emma Bates was the top-American, as she finished in 2:25:27 to take fourth. Stephanie Bruce was sixth in 2:27:47, and Lindsay Flanagan was seventh in 2:28:08.
It was Thweatt’s big return to the marathon distance after an injury took her out of last year’s Chicago Marathon. She has battled injuries much of the last two years since she set a personal record at the 2017 London Marathon with a 2:25:38. Sunday was her first marathon finish since London.
Now, Thweatt will be able to compete in the Olympic Trials ahead of Tokyo 2020. Thweatt admitted after the race her plan was to run conservatively in the opening half and make sure to record a finish.
Kosgei, who also won this year’s London Marathon in 2:18:20, set a fast early pace but slowed a bit after the halfway mark. She was waving to the crowd as she approached the finish line, nearly seven minutes ahead of runners following her.
Ababel Yeshaneh and Gelete Burka, both of Ethiopia, finished second and third. Yeshaneh’s time was 2:20:51 and Burka’s was 2:20:55
Lawrence Cherono sprinted across the finish in the men’s race to beat Dejene Debela by one second. The Kenyan Cherono finished in 2:05:45, with Ethiopia’s Debela two strides behind. Asefa Mengstu, also of Kenya, came in third three seconds behind Cherono.
“All of a sudden when we reach 41 kilometer, the (other runners) were not going again,” Cherono said. “I decided to kick and felt I was still having enough energy to sprint. I tried my luck and it worked.”
Cherono won the Boston Marathon in April in 2:07:57. Sunday’s win marked his eighth career marathon victory.
Defending champion Mo Farah, who set a European record here last year, finished in ninth in 2:09:58.
The Durango Herald contributed to this report.
