NAIROBI, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Former Tokyo Marathon champion Dickson Chumba of Kenya will renew his rivalry with compatriot Bedan Karoki in the men's race at the Chicago marathon on October 13.
Chumba last won in Chicago in 2015. The duo clashed at the Tokyo marathon in March with Karoki edging out Chumba for second place in a race won by Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese. Chumba, who had won in Tokyo in 2017 and 2018, settled for bronze.
Now the duo will be among the legion on foreign elite runners eyeing fast time in Chicago and plotting the fall of Olympic champion Mo Farah, who won the race in 2018.
"I feel strong and hope the race in Chicago will have better weather. In Tokyo it was wet and slippery and I had to slowdown to avoid injury. I have not raced since then and will be happy to go to Chicago and win against the strong athletes lined up," Chumba said on Thursday.
The organizers in Chicago believe the men's race should be incredible. In addition to the previously-announced Galen Rupp and Mo Farah, who have combined to win the past two editions of the race, Chicago is also bringing in Boston Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono of Kenya, Herpasa Negasa and Dubai champion Getaneh Molla of Ethiopian, who have run fast time of less than two hours and four minutes.
