This Day in Track & Field, October 9, 2025, Deena Kastor wins Chicago Marathon (2005), by Walt Murphy

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service  ([email protected])

This Day in Track & Field–October  9

1960-18-year old Valeriy Brumel, the winner of the silver medal at the Rome Olympics earlier in the year, raised his European Record in the high jump to 7-2  ¼ (2.19) in Lugansk, Ukraine. Brumel went on to win the gold medal at the 1964 Olympics and set six World Records from 1961-1963 (best of 7-5  ¾ [2.28]).

Sports Illustrated Vault (1963-In His Own Words):

https://vault.si.com/vault/1963/02/04/the-big-jump-a-siberian-champion-tells-his-story

https://vault.si.com/vault/1969/10/20/you-cant-keep-a-good-high-jumper-down

2005—Deena Kastor won the Women’s race at the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. It was the first marathon win of her career and her time of 2:21:25 wasn’t far off her American Record of 2:21:16.

Kastor was well on her way to bettering that AR until she started to struggle about 20-miles into the race. Romania’s Constantina Diță, the defending champion, was starting to narrow a once-formidable gap with every stride, but Kastor was able to hold on for a 5-second win, with Diță running a personal best of 2:21:30.

“I suffered greatly in the last 5K, but was able to make the finish line. I’m only now starting to feel ‘Okay,’” Kastor said more than an hour after finishing. “At 20 miles I thought, I’m starting to feel it, starting to feel the pavement a little bit, the bottoms of my feet were getting a little tender. With four miles to go, I thought this was really going to be a long four miles. It was really the last three miles that were the ugliest, and I really, really felt awful.” “I had nothing. One look over my shoulder revealed the defending champion closing quickly. Where the hell was the finish line?”

Led by Felix Limo (2:07:02) and Benjamin Maiyo (2:07:09), Kenyans swept the top-10 places in the Men’s race!

Top 10: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Chicago_Marathon

https://www.time-to-run.com/marathon/chicago/report-2005-chicago

http://www.yourrun.com/deena-kastor-chicago-marathon.html

Videos(Women)

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCgUl94B7KI

Finish/Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAd0FsCgvnE

Past Winners: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winners_of_the_Chicago_Marathon

2022—Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich was the winner at the Chicago Marathon for the 2^nd year in a row, running 2:14:18, the 2^nd fastest time in history (at the time), but fell short of her goal of breaking the World Record of 2:14:04. Finishing 2^nd in 2:18:29 was Emily Sisson, who broke Keira D’Amato’s 9-month old American Record of 2:19:12.

      Winner of the Men’s race in 2:04:24 was Kenya’s Benson Kipruto.

      Chepngetich would have everyone in the sport shaking their heads in disbelief when she won again in Chicago in 2024 with an amazing World Record of 2:09:56. The skeptics felt vindicated when the Athletics Integrity Unit provisionally suspended her in July, 2025, after she tested positive for a banned substance.

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/34760769/ruth-chepngetich-approaches-marathon-record-emily-sisson-sets-us-mark

https://www.letsrun.com/news/2022/10/emily-sisson-on-her-21829-american-marathon-record-i-had-no-clue-what-pace-i-was-running/

Chepngetich: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/18/sport/ruth-chepngetich-suspension-banned-substance-spt

Born On This Day*

Ethan Strand  23 (2002)  2025 NCAA Indoor Champion-3000m (North Carolina)

        Other NCAA placings:

           2023-DMRi (6^th), 1500 (12^th), X-Country (45^th)

           2024-Mile (i/4^th), 1500 (9th), X-Country (8^th)

           2025-DMRi (2^nd-anchor), 1500 (2^nd)

           Set “absolute” Collegiate Records indoors in the mile and 3000 in 2025

           2^nd in the 1500 at the 2025 U.S. Championships…made it to the semi-final round at the World Championships in Tokyo

           Finalist in the 1500 at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials (12^th)

           Parents Scott (Alabama-Birmingham) and Lori (Samford) both coached at the college level. Dad was a distance runner at Auburn

               and beyond.

           PBs: 1:51.07i (2021), 3:30.25 (2025), 3:48.32i (2025/CR/#7 All-Time Indoors, #3 U.S.), 3:48.86 (2025),

                     7:30.15i (Dec.’24/CR/#5 A-T U.S. Indoors), 13:28.60i (2025),

                     29:43.42 (2025); Additional College PB (in-season): 3:33.22 (2025/#2 All-Time)

           https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Strand

           3:48.32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjHSKdBjpI

           7:30.15(last 2 laps): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_bfupcLb3S8

           Father & Son: https://matta8.podbean.com/e/breaking-records-and-friendships-the-journey-of-ethan-strand/

Blessing Okagbare—Nigeria  37 (1988) 2008 Olympic silver medalist–Long Jump…8^th in the 100 at the 2012 Olympics

           2-time medalist at the 2013 World Championships—Long Jump (silver), 200 (bronze)/100-6th

           Other World finishes-2011 (100-5^th), 2015 (100-8^th), 2017 (LJ-8^th), 2019 (200-DQ’d in the 1st round for a lane

               violation)

           2010 NCAA Champion100m, Long Jump (UTEP)

           African Record holder at 200-meters—22.04 (2018)…former Record holder in the 100-10.79 (2013);

           LJ PB:22-11  ¾ (7.00/2013);

           Ran the 1^st round of the 100-meters at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but was then provisionally suspended by the Athletics

               Integrity Unit after an out-of-competition test came back positive for human growth hormone. Then received a 10-year ban in

               2022 for “multiple anti-doping violations”, effectively ending her career.

           https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessing_Okagbare

           https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/nigeria/blessing-okagbare-ighoteguonor-14292330

           22.04 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn7TI9DL0i0

           Athletics Integrity Report

Deon Hemmings–Jamaica 57 (1968)  1996 Olympic gold medalist—400m-hurdles/1^st Jamaican women to win Olympic gold

           2000 Olympic silver medalist—400m-hurdles, 4×400 (1992-7^th/400h);

           Silver medalist in the 400h—1997 World Championships (Bronze-4×400)

           Bronze medalist in the 400h—1995 & 1999; PBs:50.63 (1995), 52.82(1996)

           2001 World Champion—4×400(1997-bronze); 1993 World Indoor Champion—4×400

           Won the 400m-hurdles at the 1991 NAIA Championships, helping Central State win the team title. Coached at

              Central by another 400-hurdler of note, Josh Culbreath, the bronze medalist at the 1956 Olympics.

           Currently active as a coach and a motivational speaker

           https://www.iaaf.org/news/feature/deon-hemmings-jamaica-400m-hurdles

           https://www.teamjamaicabickle.org/deon-hemmings-mccatty-honored-in-new-york/

Curt Clausen—58 (1967) Bronze medalist in the 50k-walk at the 1999 World Championships (2001-7th)

           3-time U.S. Olympian: 1996-20k (50^th), 2000-50k (22^nd), 2004-50k (32^nd)

           4-time U.S. Champion—20k walk(1996,1997,1999,2001); 2005  U.S. Champion—30k Walk; 7-time U.S. Champion-

               50k Walk (1998,1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005);

           PBs: 1:23:34 (1999), 3:48:04 (1999)

           1986 U.S. Junior Champion—10k Walk (28^th at the World Juniors)

            After graduating from Duke, Clausen, who had some earlier experience as a race-walker, sought help from then Blue

              Devils coach Norm Ogilvie, who explained  their relationship:

             “In 1991, my first year as an assistant coach at Duke, then recent Duke grad Curt Clausen, who had run XC

              as an undergraduate, asked me if I’d be willing to help coach him.  I admitted to never having coached a race

              walker, but I was willing to learn what I could and give it my best shot. I did know Steve Hayden, the ’72 Olympic

              race walker who competed in the 50K in Munich, but not much more.  Curt felt what he needed most was

              someone to push him hard and get him fully invested in his training. We put together a punishing training plan and

              got going, Curt doing all the work and me barking splits from a stopwatch.”

           “That spring Curt placed 4th in the 1991 TAC 20k-racewalk, and I was pumped.  One year removed from the

              Olympic Trials, and we have only one more guy to beat in ‘92 to make the US team! Problem was, Curt told me,

              his plan for ‘92 was law school.  ‘ I can make the team in ‘96’, Curt told me confidently, ending our short

              coach/athlete relationship.  In hindsight, he proved himself very right.”

           Currently the President of USATF: https://www.usatf.org/governance/board-of-directors/board-of-directors/curt-clausen

           https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Clausen

           https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/curt-clausen

           https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78234

           https://www.active.com/walking/articles/an-interview-with-race-walker-curt-clausen-6876

           http://mastershistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ORW-1999-08.pdf

Peter Elliott—Great Britain 63 (1962) 1988 Olympic silver medalist—1500m (4^th-800)

           Silver medalist in the 800 at the 1987 World Championships (1983-4^th)

           1990 Commonwealth Games Champion—1500m

           PBs:

           1:42.97 (’90), 2:16.30 (’90), 3:32.69 (’90), 3:34.20i (’90-WR at the time), 3:49.20 (’88), 3:52.02i (’90), 4:52.82 (’87)

           (2015): http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/peter-elliott-man-of-steel-36217

           Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Elliott_(athlete)

           His Greatest Race: https://athleticsweekly.com/interviews/peter-elliotts-greatest-race-1039951645/

Kathy Mills-Parker 67 (1958)  1977 AIAW (pre-NCAA) X-Country Champion (Penn State)…1978 Champion—5000m/set a (pre-IAAF

               recognition) World Record of 15:35.52 for 5000-meters…also got credit for a WR for 3-miles en-route (15:03.9).

           4^th in the 5000 at the 1981 AIAW Indoor Championships

           2-time silver medalist (team) at the World X-Country Championships—1977, 1978…finished 11^th both years

           One of the early stars for Fayetteville-Manlius (NY), she won the mile and 2-mile at the inaugural New York State Girls

               Championships in 1975

           PBs: 9:03.3 (1978), 15:35.52 (1978)

           https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/kathy-mills-14613360

           https://www.greatersyracusesportshalloffame.com/kathy-mills-parker

           https://ny.milesplit.com/articles/176250/fms-kathy-mills-returns-home-on-the-40th-anniversary-of-her-record-runs

           WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_world_record_progression#Pre-recognition

Steve Ovett—Great Britain  70 (1955) 1980 Olympic gold medalist—800m (beat Seb Coe/bronze-1500m[Coe won])

           1976 OG (800-5^th, 1500-semis), 1984 OG (800-semis, 1500-semis)

           Former World Record holder in the 1500 (3:32.1/’80, 3:31.36/’80, 3:30.77-’83) and mile—3:48.8-’80,

               3:48.40 (’81)

           Other PBs: 1:44.09 (’78), 2:15.91 (’79), 8:13.51/2m (’78), 13:20.06 (’86)

           WR Progressions

           1500: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres_world_record_progression

           Mile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile_run_world_record_progression

           1980 OG-800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqHXv6Q5eh0

           1980 OG-1500: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMz0WZzWWlw

        Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ovett

           https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69364

           Coe-Ovett: http://www.oregonlive.com/history/2016/08/olympics_1500-meter_glory_when.html

           www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1251809/Sebastian-Coe-v-Steve-Ovett-There-winner.html