Chumba crossed the finish line in 2hr 09min 25sec to beat Sammy Kitwara (2:09.50) in a race that featured slower times than usual after organizers decided not to include pace-setters.
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Dickson Chumba, of Kenya, took first place with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and about 25 seconds.
His countryman Dickson Chumba, who was third behind him and race victor Eliud Kipchoge in last year’s race with a personal best 2:04:32, is also back and he could be a danger.
The race was won by Florence Kiplagat, world record holder for the half marathon, in a time of 2:23:33. He became a pro runner in 2008-prior to that he worked as a gardner.
Results for the 2015 Chicago Marathon.
Ethiopians Yebrgual Melese and Birhane Dibaba took the next two spots with Melese 10 seconds adrift of Kiplagat.
In his last unpaced major marathon in 2013 he finished seventh (2:14.08) in Boston. Chumba made the turn with a time of 1:05:13, which was tied with fellow Kenyan Sammy Kitwara.
The Wicklow woman finished in a time of 2:33:15, nearly nine minutes inside the qualifying time of 2:42.
Kiplagat, who placed second behind Jeptoo past year, still had enough energy after completing the 26.2 mile course to celebrate her victory with several quick leaps for joy in the finish area.
Luke Puskedra was the top American man with a fifth-place finish in 2:10:24.
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Most top American men and women skipped the race to prepare for February’s U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
