Lilya Shobukhova breaks the Russian record in Chicago 2010 (© Getty Images)
9 September 2011The Chicago Marathon today announced a diverse group of international athletes - including several national record holders - who will match strides against Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova, America’s Ryan Hall, and Kenya’s Moses Mosop on the flat and fast streets of Chicago on 9 October.
Bidding for her third straight Chicago Marathon title - an IAAF Gold Label Road Race - Shobukhova, the Russian record holder in the marathon, will face perhaps her fiercest competition from Kayoko Fukushi, the Japanese recorder holder in the 3000m (8:44.40), 5000m (14:53.22) and Half Marathon (1:07:26), who will be looking to add the national marathon record to her impressive list of accomplishments. Fukushi, a two-time Olympian, struggled in her highly anticipated marathon debut at Osaka in 2008, but aims to fulfill her marathon promise in her second attempt at the distance.
“At this year's Bank of America Chicago Marathon, I want to challenge the 2:20 mark, and also test my own abilities in the marathon and what the distance involves,” said Fukushi. “Racing in Chicago is the start of my preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games Marathon in London."
Christelle Daunay, who set the French record (2:24:22) with her runner-up performance at the 2010 Paris Marathon, and Benita Willis, who set the Australian record (2:22:36) with her third-place finish at the 2006 Chicago Marathon, will also factor heavily into the mix. Both athletes will be looking to make a statement at the Chicago Marathon as they prepare for next summer’s Olympic Marathon.
Finish times, not just placement, are of the essence for the Russian contingent that, in addition to Shobukhova, includes Inga Abitova, runner-up at the 2010 London Marathon, and Maria Konovalova, third-place finisher at last year’s Chicago Marathon. The Russian Olympic Federation will select its Olympic Marathon team based on the two fastest times run by Russian athletes between September 1 and December 31, 2011.
China’s Wei Yanan, the two-time Seoul Marathon champion, and Yue Cao, were also added to the women’s elite field.
The men’s competition will be far from a two-person race between Hall, the American record holder in the half-marathon (59:43), and Mosop, Kenya’s second fastest marathoner (2:03:06). Brazil’s Marilson Dos Santos, the two-time New York City Marathon champion (2006 and 2008) and national record holder in the half-marathon (59:33), returns to the Chicago Marathon for the first time since finishing sixth in 2004 with his eye on Ronaldo Da Costa’s Brazilian and South American record of 2:06:05. Japan’s Atsushi Sato, the national record holder in the half marathon (1:00:25), will attempt to break the Japanese marathon record of 2:06:16, which was set on the same course by Toshinari Takaoka at the 2002 Chicago Marathon.
In addition to Sato, the men’s field welcomes a group of Japanese athletes looking to make a positive impression on their nation’s Olympic selection committee in the run-up to the 2012 Games, including Takayuki Matsumiya (2:10:04), Takashi Horiguchi (2:12:05), Kouji Gokaya (2:12:07), Hironori Arai (2:12:17), Masaki Shimoju (2:12:18) and Yuuki Moriwaki (2:13:34). Similarly, Columbia’s Jason Gutierrez (2:13:24) and Diego Colorado (2:16:45) have chosen the Chicago Marathon to post Olympic qualifying performances - and perhaps challenge their country’s national mark of 2:11:17 set by Carlos Grisales at the 1996 Boston Marathon.
