Lawrence Cherono wins Chicago Marathon

What you need to know:

  • Cherono won the hotly contested race in a sprint finishing clocking two hours, 05 minutes and 42 seconds on Sunday.
  • Last year's winner Mo Farah of Britain finished a distant eighth in 2:09:58.

Kenya's Lawrence Cherono is the new Chicago Marathon champion.

Cherono won the hotly contested race in a sprint finishing clocking two hours, 05 minutes and 45 seconds on Sunday.

Cherono, who won Boston Marathon in April, beat Ethiopians Defene Debela and Asefa Mengstu to second and third places in 2:05:46 and 2:05:48 respectively.

Another Kenyan Bedan Karoki settled for fourth in 2:05:53.

Last year's winner Mo Farah of Britain finished a distant eighth in 2:09:58.

It was a disappointing end for Farah to a week that began amid a hail of questions about the scandal surrounding his former coach Alberto Salazar.

US distance running guru Salazar has been banned for four years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for a string of doping violations.

Salazar has denied wrongdoing, but Nike shut down its Oregon Project running group headed by Salazar, and four-time Olympic gold medallist Farah arrived in Chicago for his defence to find himself again denying any irregularities during his time with the coach.

Results on Sunday in the Chicago Marathon:

Men

1. Lawrence Cherono (KEN) 2hr 05min 45sec

2. Dejene Debela (ETH) 2:05:46

3. Asefa Mengstu (ETH) 2:05:48

4. Bedan Karoki (KEN) 2:05:53

5. Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:06:14

6. Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:08:35

7. Dickson Chumba (KEN) 2:09:11

8. Mo Farah (GBR) 2:09:58

9. Jacob Riley (USA) 2:10:36

10. Jerrell Mock (USA) 2:10:37