Athlete Seifu Tura Wins Chicago Marathon

ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura won the 2021 Chicago Marathon, the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, on Sunday, beating out former champion Galen Rupp to claim his first major marathon victory.

The athlete started competing for Ethiopia as a youth competitor on the track, primarily focused on the 3000m and 5000m. He moved to the roads in 2017 and experienced immediate success, landing on the podium in Seoul in second place in his 42K debut (2:09:26).

Today’s victory marks the first major marathon win for Seifu who ran three marathons in 2018, winning in both Milan and Shanghai, and finishing seventh in Dubai.

Prior to the race, Seifu had explained how the warmer than expected conditions may not play in his favour.

The 24-year-old, however, kept his cool to triumph in 2:06:12 as he finished 23 seconds ahead of the USA’s Galen Rupp, who won the race in 2017. Kenya’s Eric Kiptanui finished third.

Another Ethiopian athlete, Shifera Tamru, had been the early leader, as he followed the pacemaker through 5km in 14:36, seven seconds ahead of the nine-strong chase group.

By 15km, passed in 44:06, his lead was 15 seconds but his challengers were beginning to close him down. He was caught and at half way the clocked showed 1:02:29.

Rupp was 11 seconds behind the group – which featured Ethiopia’s Shifera, Seifu and Chalu Deso, plus Japanese record-holder Kengo Suzuki and Kenya’s Reuben Kipyego and Eric Kiptanui – at that point but he rejoined the pack a short while later, on US record pace.

After 25km was passed in 1:14:42 and 30km in 1:30:06, the pace picked up again and Seifu, Rupp and Kiptanui broke away to create an advantage of half a minute on fourth-placed Suzuki at 35km.

After looking like he wanted Rupp or Kiptanui to take a turn at the front, the Ethiopian decided to make a move and was nine seconds ahead of Rupp at 40km, which he passed in 1:59:44.

Untroubled in the closing stages, the athlete had increased that margin to 23 seconds by the finish to build on his sixth place in Chicago in 2019, denying Rupp – who clocked 2:06:35 – a second Chicago Marathon victory after his win in 2017.

Kiptanui was third in 2:06:51, with Suzuki fourth in 2:08:50 and Shifera completing the top five in 2:09:39.

“When I came here in 2019 I hadn’t really been preparing for this race, I was due to run another race but ended up racing here,” Tura told NBC, speaking through an interpreter.

“This time I prepared for more than three months and if it wasn’t for the weather being warm, my goal had been to improve my personal best. I am very happy to have won in Chicago,” he added.

Kenyan Wins Women’s Title

After dropping out of the Olympic Marathon in August due to an injury, Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, 27, came to the Chicago Marathon eager for a victory.

She blasted off at world record pace, running 15:37 for the first 5K and dropping her male pacer, Johnny Rutford, by around mile 8.5.
But by mile 10, she’d slowed dramatically. Still—despite running much of the race alone and clocking a 5:53 mile between miles 23 to 24—she’d banked enough of a lead to hang on for the victory, crossing the line in 2:22:31.

“This is my first time in the United States, and I have to say I’m so excited and I’m happy for the win today,” she said afterward. “The race was good, it was nice, but it was tough. To push alone is not easy.”

American Emma Bates, 29, finished second in 2:24:20—a personal best by more than a minute. Sara Hall finished third in 2:27:19, and Keira D’Amato, 36, wasn’t far behind her, placing fourth in 2:28:22.

Meseret Belete is the only Ethiopian athlete to finish in the final top 10 winners of the Women Marathon race, finishing 9th in 2:33:14.

Agencies/WA

 

Featured Image Caption: Seifu ran 2:06:12 to win the men’s title at the 2021 Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10, 2021. [Photo WA]