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Cheruiyot, Grigoryeva Earn 2008 Chicago Marathon Titles

Posted October 12th, 2008 at 11:34 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Evans Cheruiyot, who debuted at the marathon distance only last year, became the 6th straight Kenyan to win the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Sunday. Running away from fellow Kenyan David Mandago with less than two-miles from the finish, Cheruiyot broke the tape in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 25 seconds.

Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia, 34, the 2007 Boston champion, took command of the women’s race in the 21st mile and went on to win the title in 2:27.17.Russian compatriot Alevtina Biktimova was the runner-up.

Cheruiyot, 26, now is 2-for-2 since moving up to the marathon a year ago. He won at Milan last December in 2:09.16.

Mandago was second in 2:07:37.

Mandago, at 33 the oldest elite runner in the men’s field, had taken over the lead in the 23d mile, opening up a 10-yard gap on Cheruiyot. This was Mandago’s first appearance in one of the world marathon majors — London, Boston, New York, Chicago and Berlin.

Three Kenyans — Emmanuel Mutai, Mandago and Cheruiyot — had broken clear of the pack as they passed the halfway point of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 62:25. Mandago and Cheruiyot dropped Mutai in the 18th mile.

A dozen women remained in contention at halfway, including reigning Olympic champion Constantina Dita-Tomescu of Romania, defending champion Berhane Adere of Ethiopia and Kate O’Neill of the United States. They were running a slow pace.

Just past halfway, Alevtima Biktimirova of Russia surged ahead, pulling Grigoryeva and Bezunesh Bekele of Ethiopia with her to a 20-second lead within two minutes.

The two Russian women then pulled away from Bekele in the 15th mile, leaving the Ethiopian far behind and the rest of the women apparently out of contention.

A yellow flag was flying one hour before Sunday’s 8 a.m. start of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The flag, part of a new color-coded alert system for runners, was to indicate conditions were less than ideal — in effect, like a yellow light on a road, telling runners to slow down.ce.