byLarry EderLiliya Shobukhova, the three time consecutive winner of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, wants to win four times in a row. Because of that, and her amazing domination of the fields at Chicago, Liliya Shobukhova will be running the streets of Chicago on October 7!
Liliya Shobukhova, 2010 Bank of America Chicago Marathon,
photo by PhotoRun.net
Shobukhova has had huge successes in Boston and London, as part of the Marathon Majors series, having won two years in a row.
One of the toughest marathoners in the world, Liliya Shobukhova will join 45,000 other runners on the streets of Chicago for the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Runblogrun.com will be covering the marathon LIVE on our new live blog site, watch for details.
Liliya Shobukhova Aims for Unprecedented Fourth Consecutive Victory at the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Shobukhova Joins Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu and Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Dibaba
to Headline Talented Women’s Field
CHICAGO – The Bank of America Chicago Marathon today announced that Liliya Shobukhova of Russia will go for an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in the event’s 35th running on October 7. After she was unable to finish the Olympic Games Marathon on August 5 due to stomach cramps, Shobukhova, a pre-race gold medal favorite, will look to get back to her winning ways in Chicago where she is undefeated in three appearances.
“It was heartbreaking to withdraw from the Olympic Marathon after I had trained so hard and my preparation had gone so well,” said Shobukhova. “But I am still very fit and in good health, and I am going to focus all my energy on a great performance at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. There is no place that I feel more comfortable than when I am competing in Chicago. I love the course and appreciate the support from the fans. I am especially motivated to win for the fourth time in a row, which has never been done before in Chicago.”
Liliya Shobukhova, 2010 B of A Chicago Marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
Shobukhova, who ran the third-fastest time in history (2:18:20) to win last year’s race, will face her stiffest competition yet in the bid for her fourth title. Sub-2:20 performer Lucy Kabuu of Kenya (2:19:34) stands in her way, as does Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Dibaba, who ran 2:22:09 in a runner-up finish to Shobukhova last year. These three athletes have the potential to put Paula Radcliffe’s 10-year-old course record of 2:17:18 in jeopardy. Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat was forced to withdraw from the field due to an injury.
“Liliya has already made history at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with three victories in a row, and this year she has a chance to join the great Khalid Khannouchi with four total victories,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. “She is truly one of the great champions of the sport, and while her race at the Olympics was not what she had wished for, she has a chance to return to the top of the world in Chicago.”
Last year, Shobukhova became the first runner to win three consecutive Chicago Marathon titles, and a fourth victory would tie her for the most ever in Chicago. Khalid Khannouchi won four times in the span of six years (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002).
About the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Celebrating its 35th year and a member of the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000 participants, including a world-class elite runner and wheelchair field, and an estimated 1.7 million spectators. As a result of its national and international draw, each year, the iconic race assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes while generating $170 million in economic impact to its host city according to a report by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (R.E.A.L.). The 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will start and finish in Chicago’s Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 7. In advance of the race, a two-day Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday, October 5, and Saturday, October 6.
