MAJOR MARK FOR KIPLIMO

CHICAGO - Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda and Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa powered to victories at the Chicago Marathon on Oct 12, as the annual showpiece took place against a backdrop of escalating tensions in the city caused by United States President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

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Jacob Kiplimo finishing first at the Chicago Marathon in 2hr 2min 23sec on Oct 12. He was second in his marathon debut in London in April.

(IMAGN IMAGES)

Kiplimo dominated the men's field, breaking the tape in 2hr 2min 23sec in his second race over the distance, while Feysa enjoyed a lopsided win in the women's race.

The half-marathon world record holder Kiplimo crossed the finish line 1min 31sec ahead of Amos Kipruto, whose Kenyan compatriot Alex Masai was third in 2:04:37.

Kiplimo, who finished second in his marathon debut in London in April in 2:02:37, broke away at the 30km mark and built a comfortable cushion in the closing stretch.

The 24-year-old peeked over his shoulder a few times towards the end of the race but had nothing to worry about, as he jogged through the final straight all by himself and sat down in sheer exhaustion after finishing in a national record.

"To come here to win the race is a big achievement for me," he said, telling a TV reporter he was hungry to go even faster.

"I'm so happy about the results for today. I came here to make a big achievement, so I'm happy about it."