Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the Chicago Marathon October 11, 2009. By winning Sunday’s race, Wanjiru topped the lucrative, five-race, World Marathon Majors series which comes with a jackpot prize of Sh38 million ($500,000). Photo/REUTERS
A huge pay day awaited Samuel Wanjiru in Chicago on Sunday and the Kenyan Olympic champion did not disappoint.
Wanjiru spared no effort in staging yet another brilliant run that boosted his bank balance and set in on course to becoming the best marathoner of all time.
In just his second year of marathon running, the 22-year-old Wanjiru, also this year’s London Marathon champion, won the Chicago Marathon toppling the course record after he completed the city’s flat course on a chilly day under cloudy skies in two hours, five minutes and 41 seconds.
Second place went to Morocco’s Abderrahim Goumri in 2:06:04 with Vincent Kipruto of Kenya third in 2:06:08. Kenyan men have won the Chicago marathon for seven years in a row and 10 times in all.
The women’s race was won by Liliya Shobukhova of Russia in 2:25:55. It was the Russian track 5,000m European record holder’s second outing at the distance.
Second was Irina Mikitenko from Germany who secured her win in the World Marathon Majors as did Wanjiru for the period 2008-9.
Third place in the women’s race went to title defender, Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia. Organisers had offered an estimated Sh19 million ($250,000) in appearance fee to land Wanjiru in Chicago and another Sh7.5 million ($100,000) in prize money for the winner.
An additional Sh5.6 million ($75,000) was on offer for the course record. By winning Sunday’s race, Wanjiru topped the lucrative, five-race, World Marathon Majors series which comes with a jackpot prize of Sh38 million ($500,000).