I was able to watch the Chicago Marathon via live streaming. My eyes were watering the whole time. You can never anticipate what will happen in the marathon. Things can change over the course of 26.2 miles. You can be the leader at the half, but things change and change again.
SAMMY WANJIRU WAS AMAZING. Amazing things happen on Marathon Day. Sammy had some not great performances in 2010, including a DNF in London, and a stomach bug in September. But now, he has 2 back-to-back Chicago victories and an Olympic gold medal on his resume. Watching his sprint to the finish, when he established an incredible distance between himself and his competition, was breathtaking. Such a strong finish. Here's a short clip of the win. Talk about motivation.
Liliya Shobukhova blew me away. She was in the middle of the pack for so long, and it seemed as if she would lose her defending title, and not just by a place, but by a few women. But at mile 21, she made a decisive move and passed the leader with determination.
Age does not matter. Sammy is 23. Lyliya is 32. At 46, Colleen De Reuck finished in 2:34 - good enough for 15th place. At 53, Joan Benoit Samuelson finished in 2:47:50 - a new age group record.
A double-double win. Both defending champions came back and won AGAIN. Great things happen. Both gapped their competition considerably. History was made on a historical day. Even though Liliya had to speak through a translator, you could hear the excitement and pride - she won the World Major Marathon Championship, she set a personal best, a Russian record - so many amazing things. And it was 75 degrees - not ideal for a personal best. So what can happen when she gets better weather?
Great things are happening in the running world. Congrats to all of the racers in today's marathon.
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