Sweet first for Rupp
Dibaba also win maiden marathon title in Chicago
CHICAGO: Galen Rupp became the first American man in 15 years to win the Chicago Marathon while Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, a three-time Olympic champion, captured the women’s crown.
It was only the fourth career start at the 42.16km distance for Rupp, who was second in April’s Boston Marathon and third in last year’s Rio Olympics and just the third marathon for Dibaba, a former world and Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion. “It’s just incredible,” Rupp said.
“You train so hard to have a race like this and to have it all come together, words just can’t describe the feeling when I came across the line. It’s just a great day.”
Rupp surged ahead for good with 4.8km remaining to win in 2’09:20 with Kenyan runner-up Abel Kirui, the defending champion, 28 seconds back and Bernard Kipyego, also of Kenya, third in 2’10:23.
Only one rival remained with Dibaba past the halfway mark as this year’s London Marathon runner-up cruised to victory in 2’18:31, defeating Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei by 1:51 with American Jordan Hasay third in 2’20:57.
“This is my third marathon and I’m very happy to have won here,” Dibaba said. “I worked very hard for this.” Dibaba and Rupp each took a US$100,000 (RM423,000) top prize at the 40th anniversary edition of the classic, which saw more than 40,000 runners compete on the streets of the US Midwestern metropolis.
Rupp, 31, was the first American man to win the Chicago Marathon since Moroccoborn Khalid Khannouchi in 2002.
Kenyans had won the Chicago men’s title in 13 of the past 14 years.
Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto, world record holder from his 2014 Berlin Marathon triumph in 2’ 02: 57 and the 2013 Chicago champion, led at the halfway mark in 1’05:49 but began limping soon after and by 25km was off the pace for good.
The lead pack slowly dwindled over the next 10km, leaving only Rupp, Kirui and Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma after 35km.
Rupp, who took 2012 Olympic silver at 10,000m, made his charge with 4.8km remaining and no one had a response.— AFP