John Korir secures top finish in 2024 Chicago Marathon with second-fastest men's marathon time in history
John Korir of Kenya won the men's Chicago Marathon title on Sunday after running a personal best of 2 hours 2 minutes 44 seconds as runners paid an emotional tribute to the late Kelvin Kiptum.
The 27-year-old Korir claimed his first major marathon victory, finishing ahead of Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa (2:04:39) and another Kenyan, Amos Kipruto (2:04:50).
Huseydin Mohamed Esa of Ethiopia finished second, in 2:04:39, and multiple world-major winner Amos Kipruto of Kenya was third, in 2:04:50.
Korir debuted his marathon career in Ottawa in 2018, running 2:09:14 for a second-place finish. He earned his first marathon victories in the 2021 and 2022 Los Angeles Marathons.
This year's finish, which had an unofficial time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 44 seconds, also marked an unofficial personal best and the second-fastest men's marathon time in history, behind only the world record-finish set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Korir was part of a seven-man group at the head of the course 30 kilometres in before he hit the accelerator and shed his rivals.
Four of the top five were Kenyans, with Vincent Ngetich and Daniel Ebenyo finishing off the podium.
"It was really nice to run my PB and win in Chicago," said Korir, adding that he used Kiptum's world record run at the same event last year as a source of motivation.
"Today I was thinking about Kiptum and I said 'last year if he could run under 2:01, why not me?' So I had to believe in myself and try to do my best."
Kiptum set the world record in 2:00:35 in Chicago in October 2023 but died at the age of 24 just four months later in a car accident in his native Kenya.
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