CHICAGO: Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei shattered Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old world record on Sunday, winning the Chicago Marathon in two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds.

Kosgei broke the mark of 2:15:25 set by Radcliffe in the London Marathon on April 13, 2003 as she won in Chicago for the second straight year. 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, the 25-year-old who also won in London in April and clocked the fastest half-marathon in history this year of 1:04:28 at the Great North Run, quickly separated herself from the women’s field as she ran with two male pace-setters.

Lawrence Cherono made it a Kenyan double with victory in the men’s race, as former Alberto Salazar coached athletes, including Mo Farah, were never a factor.

Kosgei crossed the finish line alone, with Ethiopians Ababel Yeshaneh and Gelete Burka a second and third in 2:20:51 and 2:20:55.

“People were cheering all along the course, which gave me more energy,” Kosgei said. “I felt my body was moving, moving, moving so I went for it.”

While the IAAF called the 2:17:01 clocked by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany at the 2017 London Marathon a “women only” world record posted without male pace-setters, it’s Radcliffe’s mark — so long untouchable — that has been the grail for female marathon runners.

The British great was in Chicago and posed for photos with Kosgei.

“I think we’ve always known that time was going to come,” Radcliffe said. “When I saw how fast Brigid was running in the first part of the race, if she was able to hold that together, she was always going to beat the time.”

Radcliffe had also held the Chicago course record of 2:17:18 — set in winning the 2002 race in what was then a world record.

“That was a very special day for me and it’s a very special day for Brigid today,” Radcliffe said.

Kosgei’s performance continued a remarkable weekend in the punishing event, coming a day after fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to break two hours at the distance when he clocked 1hr 59min 40.2sec on a specially prepared course in a Vienna park.

Kosgei signalled her intentions with an astonishing first five kilometers in 15:28 — so far inside Radcliffe’s world record pace that it seemed she might have ruined her chances out of the gate.

But she settled into a more sustainable rhythm, and powered relentlessly to the finish line.

Her halfway split of 1:06:59 had Kosgei comfortably inside world-record pace, and her lead expanded over the second half as her pursuers felt the effects.

The pace-setters dropped away in the closing kilometers, leaving Kosgei to break the tape alone, her arms raised in celebration.

CHERONO WINS MEN’S RACE

Cherono sprinted past Ethiopian Dejene Debela to win the men’s race in two hours, five minutes, 45 seconds but British defending champion Farah placed eighth in 2:09.58 and previous winner Galen Rupp failed to finish.

The time was Farah’s slowest in a marathon by more than a minute. He was not available for comment.

Both Farah and Rupp were formerly coached by the now-banned Salazar as was American Jordan Hasay, one of the women’s favourites who also did not finish.

Rupp suffered a calf strain about the sixth mile and he was forced to drop out near the 23rd mile, his management company said in a statement.

Hasay felt a sharp pain in her hamstring after two miles, stretched and tried to continue, but was unable to, the statement added.

The race was the first for the three since Salazar was banned from the sport for four years by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct.

Nike shut down its Oregon Project running group headed by Salazar, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Farah arrived in Chicago for his defence to find himself again denying any irregularities during his time with the coach.

Salazar has said he plans to appeal against the ruling.

Debela was a second behind Cherono and fellow Ethiopian Asefa Mengstu took third in 2:05:48.

“Towards the end I felt like I could kick forwards, I still had enough energy to sprint and it’s amazing,” Cherono said. “I am so happy. It’s my second major marathon and to come only a few months after Boston is brilliant.”

American Daniel Romanchuk overwhelmed the men’s wheelchair field to defend his title in an unofficial 1:30:26.

The 21-year-old finished more than three minutes ahead of British runner-up David Weir.

Swiss Manuela Schar also retained her title, the 34-year-old winning the women’s wheelchair race in an unofficial 1:41:08.

Former champion Tatyana McFadden took second in 1:45:22.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2019