Chicago Marathon Brings Heartwarming Stories

Elite Athletes start for Chicago full marathon. Kiptum can be seen in the front row, and Ichida from Japan is just behind two pacemakers. (Credit © Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Kevin Morris)

The 45th Bank of America Chicago Marathon brought huge excitement both in Chicago and Japan. Everybody knows Kenia’s Kelvin Kiptum set a new world record 2:00:35 for the first time breaking 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon.

Thirteen minutes and 09 seconds after Kiptum cleared the finish line, Dutch star Sifan Hassan became the second fastest woman in the world at her record of 2:13:44.

From the other side of the glove, five Elite Athletes from Japan competed in Chicago. They were Yuki Matsumura (bib# 11), Takashi Ichida (bib# 12), Masashi Nonaka (bib# 18), Masaki Tsuda (bib# 20), and Mizuki Higashi (bib#21). All of them are candidates to run in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

In the Men’s Wheelchair Division, Kota Hokinoue (bib# 205), and Sho Watanabe (bib# 210) were invited to the Chicago Marathon.

All the seven Elite Athletes made exciting, interesting stories.

About Kelvin Kiptum

Kelvin Kiptum runs into the finish line, a moment of setting the new world record, 2:00:35. (Credit © Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Kevin Morris)

Kiptum made his full marathon debut in Valencia, in December 2022, and won the race at 2:01:53 which made him the third man to break a wall of the 2:02:00 range.

His second race was the London Marathon in April 2023. He won it at 2:01: 25, which was only 16 seconds short of Eliud Kipchoge’s world record 2:01:09, and of course, became the second fastest man in the world.

In the third marathon of his career, Kiptum broke away from a lead group with his compatriot Daniel Mateiko after reaching 5km in 14:26. The two were on the world-record pace at 10km, passed in 28:42, and reached halfway in 1:00:48. The time was 52 seconds faster than the time in London.

Kiptum threw his hat away when he entered the second half of the race with Mateiko, after they passed 30km in 1:26:31, Kiptum dropped Mateiko and picked up pace toward the goal.

Kiptum passed 35km in 1:40:22 at a blistering 5km split of 13:51, passed 40km in 1:54:23, and sped up further running into the finish line with the incredible figures of 2:00:35.

Kelvin Kiptum smiles for a photo in the Media Center after the race.

In the Media Center at the Hilton Hotel, Kiptum said, “I knew I was coming for a course record, but a world record. I’m so happy.” He continued, “A world record was not on my mind today, but I knew one day I would be a world record holder.”

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Kelvin Kiptum was born in December 1999 and grew up in Chepsamo Village, Chepkorio, in the area of high-altitude of 2600m, where faults from 800 to 1200m ranges locate within 30km. It is an area where many long-distance runners came into the world race.

At age of 13, Kiptum started his training and competed in many half-marathon races. In 2019, he won a half marathon in Lisbon for the first time.

Interviews with Elite Athletes from Japan

The results of Japanese Elite Athletes were Takashi Ichida (Asahi Kasei), 10th, 2:08:57; Masashi Nonaka (Toyota) 20th, 2:14:58; Masaki Tsuda (Nishitetsu) 21st, 2:15:24; Mizuki Higashi (Aisan) 23rd, 2:17:55; Yuki Matsumura (Honda) 24th, 2:18:59. They ran in the Chicago Marathon for the first time and experienced many challenges while a runner broke his own record.

Takashi Ichida

Q: Congratulations for breaking your record!

Ichida: Thank you. I was given a chance to run in Chicago, so I wanted to renew my record here in Chicago. It was my minimum goal, so I’m very pleased to clear it.

Q: What do you think about the world’s new record set by Kiptum today?

Ichida: I heard of it and recalled the race that the front runner was running at such a high pace. Knowing that, I can’t be delighted by my new record, but I feel it was good timing that I could run in a race where the world record was newly set.

Q: How did you prepare yourself for the Chicago Marathon?

Ichida: it was not related to selecting national representatives for the 2024 Olympics, so I wanted to run in this race to step up myself for the future. I could renew my record, so I want to bring my experience from today to the next race.

Q: What do you think about the rough surface of the course in Chicago?

Ichida: it was a pretty rough course compared with one in Japan, but there were long-straight courses and wider roads, so I could run with open feelings.

The last upslope was pretty tough, and I used all the energy left in my body because I knew the goal was right after the uphill, so I used up all my energy.

Q: By the way, I heard you and Matsumura san are good rivals.

Ichida: Yes. His record was the top among us, and he is the strongest runner of our age.

Yuki Matsumura

Q: Your best record was 2:09:01, and today’s result was nearly 10 minutes late. What did happen to you?

Matsumura: I’m disappointed and regret not being able to have enough training early in the summer due to my condition. I was at a good pace in the first half, but fatigue rapidly spread in my legs and feet. I think it was due to lack of training and I feel need for total training. I blame myself for ending up with such a bad result for the first time in a while.

Q: You and Ichida san are good friends and rivals. Both of you have twin brothers who are also long-distance athletes.

Matsumura: Yes, we are the same age and became professional athletes in the same year. I recognized him in the race when we passed each other on the course, so I thought, “Oh, Ichida san would be in a good condition today.”

Q: Sounds nice! I look forward to seeing your good performances in the future.

Masashi Nonaka

Q: You have your best record at 2:09:57, but you were about five minutes behind today.

Nonaka: It was not what I aimed. Amid my good training schedule, I got COVID-19 in the middle of August, so my schedule was interrupted. I recovered from it soon and thought no problem, but it actually affected the second half of my running. It was regrettable.

Q: Do you think Chicago’s rough surface bothered you?

Nonaka: I think the course was relatively flat, but it was hard to see bumpy parts of the course when other runners were running in front of me. Anyway, I could run as usually I do.

Q: What is your schedule after Chicago?

Nonaka: I moved to Toyota because I wanted to concentrate on full marathon, so I’m going to realize my wishes. Regarding future races, probably I’ll run in the Osaka Marathon in February 2024. I was good at 5000m and half marathon, but I’m slow in full marathon. I’ll improve my full marathon record to form myself into a full-marathon runner. That is realizing my wish.

Masaki Tsuda

Q: Your best record is 2:10:40. How about today’s race?

Tsuda: It was totally regrettable. I tried to concentrate on the second half, but it was less effective than I imagined. I'm so mad at myself.

Q: How about the last ascent at the end of the course?

Tsuda: Oh, that one! I thought I was going to walk (laughter), but I could hold on for the finish line. I want to praise myself for doing that.

Q: Do you think the strength of muscle power is different among human races?

Tsuda: That is my weakness, so I want to improve my muscles to strengthen more.

Q: What are your future schedules?

Tsuda: I will run in the winter, probably Osaka or Tokyo next year. I’ll review my performance in Chicago and going to improve myself for the next one.

Mizuki Higashi

Q: Your half point time was 1:03:21. You put up a good fight.

Higashi: I was running with Ichida san until 25km, and then I could see Ichida san from a certain distance until 30km, but my legs were losing power. I was aiming my best in my mind, but the race wasn’t so easy.

Q: Do you have maneuvering in the race?

Higashi: I didn’t have a chance to use it, but it was good to learn about the ups and downs of pace in a race abroad. I want to train myself to improve my strength and lead the race pace where I can use maneuvering.

Q: Is this your first race abroad?

Higashi: It’s the second. But to tell you the truth, I got COVID-19 as soon as I entered a foreign country to run, so to me, Chicago is like my first race abroad.

Q: How about your future marathon?

Higashi: I’ll do it!

Manager Masatoshi Ibata (Aisan)

Q: Young Elite Athletes come to the Chicago Marathon every year. How do you select them?

Ibata: The Japan Association of Athletics Federations selects them locally, and nationally. They are the young runners whom we expect to compete in the world.

Q: Is there any standard to come to Chicago?

Ibata: We send runners who have a strong wish to improve their power and skills to step up to the next race. It’s good to set one’s best record here, but if they don’t, they will challenge the next one. The core of the marathon world would be a matter of speed. I feel that we have to work on the world-class speed.

Q: So you are going to work on speed?

Ibata: Well, we need to strengthen their speed and stamina. I hope the five young runners will use today’s experience for their better performance in future races in Japan.

Q: Thank you.

Keep Up with Competitors

Fierce Dramas in Wheelchair Race

Sho Watanabe

Sho Watanabe (Toppan) was born in November 1991 and active in a baseball team in high school, but a car accident made his life in a wheelchair when he was 19. Inspired by a senior wheelchair racer Kota Hokinoue, he started to train himself as a racer. Within only two years, he was selected as Japan’s representative and won a silver medal in a world competition. In the Chicago Marathon, he was the third place last year and went down to the sixth this year, but he said, “I gave my all in this race.” Chicago Shimpo asked him about the world of wheelchair marathon.

Q: Today’s time was 01:35:40. It took 11 minutes and 40 seconds longer than your best record of 01:24:00. How was the race?

Watanabe: it was very difficult, but to tell you the truth, I used all of my skills and power in the race and competed pretty well. I just regret to miss the fifth place which was my minimum goal this time. I accept my weakness.

I had a family matter in the summer and couldn’t do enough training for a certain period. Due to this lack of training, I had a body cramping in the Berlin Marathon two weeks ago and couldn’t run well. I hadn’t had such a cramping for so many years. I need to train myself more and more.

Q: How about the last uphill before the finish line?

Watanabe: Three of us were running as a group, and one dropped at 40km, so two of us competed against each other. At 41km, I accelerated my pace and widened the distance between my competitor and me even in the uphill and got the sixth place, although I wanted one rank above… Anyway, I was pleased to defeat my competitor.

Q: Is it difficult to overtake a group of runners on a course?

Marcel Hug (Credit © Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Kevin Morris)

Watanabe: I’m confident having enough technics to overtake running groups and can win Marcel Hug who has won every race for years. He has excellent running abilities, so he can win without having such technics. We as wheelchair athletes get together from all over the world and want to defeat Marcel someday, but he is too strong!

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Athlete Marcel Hug

Marcel Hug (Switz.) was born in January 1986. He competed in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics in 800m, 1500m, 5000m, and full marathon, and won gold medals for all four competitions. He has won 10 times in the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon. These are a few examples of his successful works.

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Q: Do you use your all energy to the limit in a race?

Watanabe: If I think about only getting the 5th place, I would have chances, but I cannot forget about Marcel’s overwhelming power and want to keep up with him.

In today’s race, Marcel soon jumped into the top position. At a right-angle turn just after a downhill, everyone hit the brakes except me, so I could catch up with Marcel. But I overused my energy and couldn’t hold on for Marcel.

Sho Watanabe (L) keeps up with Marcel Hug (R) in the Chicago Marathon. (Credit © Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Kevin Morris)

Q: Why is Marcel so different from others?

Watanabe: I can’t see any flaw in him. He is good in health and has a fitting vehicle. He has been in an ideal circumstance.

Q: What is the next?

Watanabe: I’ll go to New York, but before that, I’m going to compete in the Oita International Wheelchair Marathon in November. I have to keep up with Tomoki Suzuki, who has been keeping top place among Japanese runners for several years. I have to do it!

Q: Thank you.

Kota Hokinoue

Kota Hokinoue (Yahoo Japan) was born in March 1974, a motorbike accident made his life in a wheelchair in 2000, and he started wheelchair race in 2002. He represented Japan and competed in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and got fifth place both in 5000m and full marathon. He has competed in major races such as Tokyo, Boston, London, and Berlin, and mostly got the first, second, or third place for many years. His best record is 01:20:54.

Q: You are the twelfth at 01:40:10 today and far behind your best. What happened?

Hokinoue: I caught a pothole and fell down at the 1.5km point. I just picked up the race pace, so my vehicle and I were sliding on the course. I had no injury, just some scratches, so I was O.K. I quickly raised my fallen vehicle and restarted the race, but it was the very beginning of the race, so I was overtaken by many runners.

Q: How much loss did you have?

Hokinoue: In a race, your performance depends on which group you are able to join. I saw Watanabe’s group from a distance, so I made a full-power effort to catch up with his group and thought if I could keep my pace, I would be able to get eighth or ninth place. But at 20km I felt it would be difficult because groups in front of me are accelerating their pace. At 30km, my pace sharply slowed down due to out of stamina.

On the other hand, a group behind me was catching up with me. If you are in a group, you can take advantage of rolling turns and save your energy by avoiding air resistance. When I saw them, who were coming closer to me, my heart was broken and decided to join the group behind me because I didn’t feel enough confidence to run alone for the rest of the 12 kilometers. You have to be brave to make a quick decision. That is critical in a race.

Q: Marcel is always hands down champion of the wheelchair race. What do you think about him?

Hokinoue: Give me a break! (laughter) If all the wheelchair athletes get together to beat him, nobody can win. Marcel has more training times, a strong coach, a vehicle support team, and an excellent training environment. He has decisive advantages.

However, no one can always have a good result. Many years ago, I had dead heat with him. After all, it would be best to believe what your coach says, and simply do what you should do every day. I think after years of effort would bring you a victory.

Q: How about a race in Berlin?

Hokinoue: I ran in Sydney instead of Berlin. It was a kind of hell. A course usually has ups and downs, and we use energy to go up a hill, but we can take advantage of a downhill, so we assume uphill and downhill are plus-minus zero. But Sydney is very different. You go down a hill and hit brakes at a sharp-angle turn or U-turn. You cannot take advantage of ups and downs, and it’s very dangerous. The course also had stone pavements, a long downhill of wood-deck path along the beach, a sand path, and so on.

It’s important to take a look at the course before you get into a race. If you have 70% of the course structures in your mind, you can do a much better race.

Q: What is your schedule for the future?

Hokinoue: I’ve been doing this for 21 years and past my peak physically, so I have to use my technical parts to compete with younger athletes. The next one is Oita, the last race in this year.

Q: Thank you.

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