Chicago Marathon: Jeptoo defends women’s title; Kipchoge top man

Eliud Kipchoge didn’t hesitate to press his advantage over Kenenisa Bekele in the news conference before Sunday’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

“I have more experience,” Kipchoge said.

And Kipchoge used it to drop first Bekele and then everyone else, as he won the race in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 11 seconds.

Kipchoge, who collected $155,000 for the win and a time bonus, led a Kenyan sweep of the podium. Sammy Kitwara was second in 2:04:28, with Dickson Chumba third in 2:04:32.

Bekele, the fastest track distance runner of all time, was fourth in 2:05:51.

Kenyan Rita Jeptoo defended her Chicago marathon women’s championship, winning in a time of 2:24:35.

Jeptoo broke free from a pack of four women, who had stuck together through much of the race, at Mile 23. Since finishing a split-second behind Atsede Baysa in the 2012 Chicago marathon, Jeptoo has won four straight marathons.

American Amy Hastings came in with a personal best 2:27:03 for fifth place.

Illinois’ Tatyana McFadden won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:44.50. Joshua George, also of Illinois, won the men’s wheelchair race in 1:32.12.

This was the fourth marathon for Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic track medalist, and the second for Bekele, a three-time Olympic track champion.

Kipchoge, Kitwara and Chumba moved away from the field at 20 miles. Then Kipchoge took full command of the race in the 25th mile.

Near-perfect weather, with the temperature in the high 40s, greeted runners as the race began.

Occasional wind gusts were forecast to die down early in the 26.2-mile race, the 37th running of the Chicago Marathon.

The men’s elite race figured to be a renewal of the Ethiopia (Kenenisa Bekele) – Kenya (Eliud Kipchoge) rivalry.

That runners saw the competition as a battle between the East African countries who dominate distance running was clear when Bekele discussed his eventual chance to break the world record of 2 hours, 2 minutes, 57 seconds Dennis Kimetto of Kenya set at last month’s Berlin Marathon.

“It is 1:02 faster than the Ethiopian record,” Bekele said. “That is a big difference.”

Two Kenyans, defending champion Rita Jeptoo and half-marathon world record-holder Florence Kiplagat, were favored in the women’s race.

Jeptoo was trying to become the first back-to-back winner of both Chicago and Boston in the same two-year span since her countywoman, Catherine (The Great) Ndereba, in 2000-01.

The 2012 women’s winner, Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia, was a late scratch. Race officials did not immediately know why Baysa, fifth last year, did not start.