Fearnley second in Chicago Marathon

Monday, 9 October 2017:

Australian Paralympic legend Kurt Fearnley has finished second in the Chicago Marathon's wheelchair category for the second straight year.

As in 2016, the 37-year-old five-time winner beat all but Switzerland's Marcel Hug home, finishing with a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 24 seconds.

A pack of 15 racers were in close competition over the opening 35km before the Swiss kicked clear to win by more than a minute.

"I've had some good results here in the past but today just wasn't my day," Fearnley said.

"Marcel is a hell of an athlete on an incredible run. Full credit to him. To pull away from the pack at that stage of the race and build a minute lead is something else."

Fearnley has never finished lower than second in Chicago, recording five wins and two runner-up finishes before Sunday's result.

"I love this race and it suits my strengths so I came into today pretty confident," he said.

"But sometimes someone else pulls out a world-beating performance to beat you and you just have to suck it up, pat him on the back, and come back next time with a bit more mongrel in the tank to try and be that world-beater."

Fellow Australian Madison de Rozario finished fourth in the women's wheelchair race, while in the elite runners category, Galen Rupp became the first American winner of the race since 2002.

Australia's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Michael Shelley finished 10th while in the women's event Lisa Jane Weightman was sixth with Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba the winner.






AAP






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