Wanjiru wins Chicago Marathon

Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya outran Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia in the final half mile Sunday to win a second straight Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

Wanjiru made three moves against Kebede, the last finally breaking his Ethiopian rival as he won by 19 seconds in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 24 seconds.

The victory likely was worth $615,000 to Wanjiru, the 2008 Olympic champion.

That includes $75,000 for winning, a $40,000 time bonus and $500,000 as winner of the 2009-10 World Marathon Majors trophy.

Wanjiru will get the last payoff unless Kebede makes the unlikely decision to run the New York Marathon four weeks from now and finishes first or second.

The temperature had risen to 73 degrees when Russia’s Liliya Shobukhova won her second straight title, giving Chicago back-to-back men’s and women’s titles for the first time since the race began in 1977.

Shobukhova clinched the $500,000 as World Marathon Majors champion. She also got $75,000 for the win and a $40,000 time bonus for her winning time.

Wanjiru, 23, had been bothered by a knee injury that made his participation in the race uncertain until recently. He had dropped out of April’s London Marathon after 16 miles.

Despite the heat, the elite men’s pace began to accelerate in the fifth mile, which they covered in 4 minutes, 40 seconds, and the 6th, in 4:39.

It was projecting 2 hour, 4 minute, 27 second finish. The expected contenders all were in the nine men running at the lead after 6 miles.