Holder Brigid Kosgei leads Kenyan cast to Chicago
ERICSON KIPRONO
Title holder Brigid Kosgei and Dickson Chumba will lead runners to the Bank of America Chicago marathon on October 13.
Kosgei, a two-time winner of the Honolulu Marathon, finished second in 2017 and then returned last fall, winning with the third fastest time in Chicago’s history in 2:18:35.
She continued her momentum this spring when she won the London Marathon in a personal best of 2:18:20, making her the seventh fastest woman in the history of marathon running.
Her dominance in 2019 also extends to winning the Peachtree 10km, two half marathons and a 5km. Kosgei has finished first or second in nine of her 10 career marathons.
Kosgei, 26, has thrown down the gauntlet running the fastest half marathon time in Newcastle where she won the Great North Run in 64:28 ahead of teammates Magdalyne Masai (67:36), Linet Masai and Mary Keitany.
She said she is not contented with the win but with the preparations and she is heading to Chicago where she will come up against compatriot Betsy Saina and America’s Amy Cragg.
Betsy Saina a 2016 Olympian in the 10,000m, enjoyed a flash of brilliance in the marathon when she won the 2018 Paris Marathon in 2:22:56.
After spending her career on the track, she experienced a rocky transition to the marathon in 2017, failing to finish both the Tokyo and New York City marathons.
However, she delivered in Paris and a few months later, she finished eighth in Frankfurt in 2:24:35.-ERICSON KIPRONO
