Rupp Wins His First World Marathon Major
Galen Rupp, 31, became the first American man in 15 years to win the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. He ran a new personal record of 2:09:20 under clear skies and temperatures that rose into the low 60s by the race’s end.
Rupp made his surge around mile 24, covering it in about 4:30, dropping the defending champion Abel Kirui of Kenya who finished second in 2:09:48. Bernard Kipyego of Kenya took third in 2:10:23.
It was Rupp’s fourth marathon—he finished first at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2016, third at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and second at this year’s Boston Marathon—and he said prior to the race that he was targeting a 2:06 or 2:07. He didn’t meet that goal, but his first win of a World Marathon Major came with a $100,000 paycheck, plus a $15,000 bonus for being the top American.
The last American to win Chicago was former world record holder Khalid Khannouchi in 2002.
Dibaba Dominates the Windy City
Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, one of the most decorated distance runners in history, added the Chicago Marathon title to her impressive résumé today, running 2:18:31 in her third marathon.
Brigid Kosgei of Kenya, 23, finished second in 2:20:22. And American Jordan Hasay, 26, finished third in 2:20:57, becoming the second-fastest American marathoner in history.
The race got off to a torrid start, with a lead pack of five at 2:16 pace through the first 10 kilometers. Dibaba, 32, took the lead right before the halfway point, which they reached in a split of 1:08:48, and Kosgei stuck with her for the next six miles. But at mile 19, Kosgei could no longer keep the pace and Dibaba opened a large lead. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, holds the world record in the 5,000 meters, and ran 2:17:56 at the London Marathon in April, the fifth-fastest time in history.
Dibaba takes home $100,000 for the win. Speaking today through a translator after the race, she said she is done racing on the track. She wants to improve her PR at the marathon and take a shot at the world record with pacemakers. The world record is 2:15:25, set by Paula Radcliffe in London in 2003.
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Hasay Becomes Second-Fastest American Marathoner
In just her second attempt at 26.2 miles, American Jordan Hasay proved she will be a force in the event for years to come. Finishing third in 2:20:57, she set a personal record of more than two minutes and put her second all-time among American women marathoners. She has now run faster than Shalane Flanagan, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Desiree Linden and trails only Deena Kastor, who set the American record of 2:19:36 in 2006.
Hasay said after the race that it was a little scary to watch the pace clock ahead of the lead pack, projecting finish times of 2:17 and 2:18. But she kept in her rhythm. “I was telling myself, ‘You love the marathon, this is your event.’ It’s definitely my event.”
Chris Derrick Hangs Tough in His Debut
Chris Derrick, making his marathon debut, knew before the race how tough 26.2 miles would feel. But he had an impressive showing at the distance by finishing ninth overall in a time of 2:12:50.
The 26-year-old who trains in Portland, Oregon, with the Bowerman Track Club, stayed with the lead pack of nearly 20 runners through the first half of the race and even went to the front several times during the second half.
The first attempt at the marathon proved to be a learning experience for Derrick, who said he still has unfinished business on the track this spring. He wants to lower his 10,000 meter personal record before he commits fully to road racing.
“The last six miles was a progressive death march,” he said, later adding, “I think it’s a good step. Obviously I want it all right away, but we all can’t be Jordan [Hasay], so hopefully it’s a learning experience on the way to bigger things.”
Americans Crowd the Lead Pack at the Start of the Race
American Aaron Braun has struggled with injuries over the past few years, and he wondered in the months leading up to the race whether his career as a marathoner was over. But he has stuck with it, training with Northern Arizona Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“It was a great way to really compartmentalize what I’ve been through the past couple of years,” Braun said. “I was almost done competitively running, and I stuck with it and now I’m leading the Chicago Marathon. I mean, how awesome is that?”
In the early miles of the race, when the men got off to a very slow pace, Braun wasn’t afraid to take the lead and keep the pace from going any slower than 2:12. Television cameras showed a lot of Braun, who was consistently a few steps ahead of a pack of about 20 men. Braun finished 12th in 2:13:41.
“I was unexpected, but it was fun, honestly,” he said. “I tried to not be self conscious about it. I knew I wasn’t going to win, but my plan for the race was to run as fast as I can, because that’s the best way to place as high as I can… when the lead pack wasn’t going to run that fast, I was like, ‘Well, what do I have to lose by running my pace and my race?’ ”
Andrew Bumbalough, who trains with the Bowerman Track Club, was 13th with a time of 2:14:04. Sam Chelanga was 15th, Diego Estrada was 16th, Noah Droddy was 19th, and Luke Puskedra was 20th.
The Rupp Family Shares a Moment
It was an emotional day for Galen Rupp’s wife, Keara and his three children (3-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, and a son who is almost 1), who were all waiting at the finish to greet the champion.
The family (Keara is second from the left in the photo below, holding her kids) had watched the beginning of the race from their hotel room and the second half on TV near the finish line, and Keara was visibly overcome with emotion when she embraced her husband.
“I just told him, ‘Good job, I’m really excited for you,’” Keara said. “He sacrifices a lot and is so focused for three months before. He’s not able to do a whole lot besides training, so to see it come together is just brilliant.”
Rupp’s voice cracked at the press conference when asked about the role his wife plays in his career. “She literally has given up everything to help me,” he said. “She’s the most amazing mom I’ve ever seen. She makes sure I don’t have anything to worry about except eating, sleeping, and training.
“I love her so much, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have such an amazing wife. I work my butt off and I don’t get to see the kids as much as I’d like, so to see them at the line and see them so happy, it means the world to me.”
The Rupp family will stay on in Chicago in the coming days and enjoy a well-deserved vacation. “We’ve been on lockdown, so we’ll hang around the city and see some things,” Rupp said. “We’re looking forward to having some fun, and the kids are pumped to see dinosaur bones.”
American Women Work Together in Chase Pack
Although there was a five-minute gap between sixth place (Lisa Weightman of Australia in 2:28:45) and seventh, American women crowded the chase pack.
The U.S. contingent took spots 7 through 13:
- Maegan Krifchin, 7th, 2:33:46
- Alia Gray, 8th, 2:34:25
- Taylor Ward, 9th, 2:35:27
- Becky Wade, 10th, 2:35:46
- Dot McMahan, 11th, 2:37:08
- Kimi Reed, 12th, 2:38:19
- Sarah Crouch, 13th, 2:38:27
Dedicated Teacher Runs Impressive PR
We introduced you to Kirsten Heckert before she toed the line for the 2017 Chicago Marathon.
The 30-year-old math teacher and cross-country coach at Plainfield South High School in Plainfield, Illinois, wakes up super early to log her miles so she can compete at a high level. This year she was hoping to best her PR of 2:39:57.
She did that with ease, taking more than a full minute off her personal best with a time of 2:38:54 to place 16th overall on the women’s side of the race.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
