Florence Kiplagat Defends Title, Wins 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Defending champion Florence Kiplagat has secured another Chicago Marathon victory with a first-place finish Sunday.

Kiplagat, the current world record holder in the half marathon, returned to Chicago to defend her 2015 title and she did so with ease, easily beating out her competition in the women's elite field.

"When I was coming here I was determined to win because I just wanted to win twice," she said.

After crossing the finish line, Kiplagat did a quick dance before embracing the men's winner and her training partner Abel Kirui.

"It’s wonderful, amazing," Kirui said of the pair's victories. 

Florence Kiplagat celebrates after crossing the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon finish line.

Kiplagat finished the event with an unofficial time of 2:21:32. 

While her 2016 finish did not beat her personal best time, Kiplagat finished faster than she did in 2015, a goal she had set following last year's race. In that event, she had an unofficial time of 2:23:33.

Her personal best marathon time, 2:19:44, dates from the 2011 Berlin Marathon.

PHOTOS: The 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Edna Kiplagat, also of Kenya, finished second, followed by Valentine Kipketer. 

The first American woman to finish the race was Serena Burla of Virginia followed by Sarah Crouch of Kentucky, according to the marathon.

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