Wanjiru in grand old time
100 grand, to be precise, as Kenyan finishes in American record time to take big prize
With a wave of his hand, Sammy Wanjiru nearly showboated away history and $100,000 Sunday.
But, by all of one second, the 22-year-old Kenyan set the Chicago and American marathon records in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a time of two hours, five minutes and 41 seconds.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)
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Chicago Marathon
On a chilly morning -- 33 degrees at the 7:30 a.m. start -- the Olympic gold medalist in Beijing pushed the pace impatiently in a quest for the world record, then settled for running into Chicago and hemisphere history.
Wanjiru was unaware how close he was to the course record and a accompanying $100,000 bonus when he turned slightly and waved to the throngs on Columbus Drive before breaking the tape. Even so, he toppled the mark Khalid Khannouchi established in 1999 at 2:05:42.
Wanjiru's wave explanation was simple: ''I waved the hand because I was very happy.''
Despite being out 100 grand, executive race director Carey Pinkowski sounded quite happy, too.
''We have a tradition of some phenomenal marathon runners who hold the record in Chicago,'' he said. ''When you have the athletes the caliber of Sammy come to Chicago, it is part of the tradition and adds to the excitement.''
World more than Chicago history looked reachable early in the race when the leaders hit the target of 62 minutes even at the half-way point.
''The pace was very easy for me and I told the pacemakers to push it a bit,'' said Wanjiru, who even waved to hustle the pacemakers.
The pace was so hot that one pacemaker, Mathew Koech, dropped from the lead after only five miles. The final pacemaker, Patrick Ivuti, dropped from the lead in the 16th mile.
''These guys went after it, which you have to admire,'' Pinkowski said.
But the world record chase was over by the 18th mile, and the world record of 2:03:59, set by Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin on Sept. 28, 2008, was safe.
The race became what seemed a three-way push for the course record, until Wanjiru made his decisive break from fellow Kenyans Vincent Kipruto and Charles Munyeki 1:44 into the race.
Then Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri turned the race for second interesting by burning through the field to take his fourth second in a major marathon in 2:06:04.
The 33-year-old veteran marathoner had pacing advice for Wanjiru, who was running his first marathon in America, ''If he wants a great time, he should change his tactic.''
Of the pace, Kipruto, who was coming off winning the spring Paris International Marathon and finished third (2:06:08), said, ''I was aware [we were] inside world record pace at 10K.''
The world-record count for the Chicago Marathon remains four: Paula Radcliffe (2:17:18) in 2002, Catherine Ndereba (2:18:47) in 2001, Khannouchi in 1999 and Steve Jones set the first in 1984 (2:08:05).