Past Chicago Marathon Runners Take Home Medals at Olympics

Bank of America Chicago Marathon runners placed first and third in the women's Olympic marathon in Rio this weekend

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has plenty of ties to the Summer Olympics in Rio, and on Sunday, organizers saw two of them rise to the medal podium.

Past Chicago Marathon elite runner Jemima Jelagat Sumgong won gold in the women's Olympic marathon, becoming the first Kenyan to win the event with a time of 2:24:04.

In 2013, Sumgong was the runner-up in the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:20:48. In 2012 she won the Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands and finished second in the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Ethiopian Mare Dibaba finished this weekend’s Olympic marathon with a bronze medal and a time of 2:24:30.

Dibaba was the runner-up in the BOA Chicago Marathon in 2014. She took home the gold at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing. That title was Ethiopia’s first ever in the women’s marathon.

The men will run the marathon this Sunday in Rio with the oldest American marathon runner, Meb Keflezighi, racing for gold. Keflezighi ran the Chicago Marathon in 2003 where he placed seventh.

The BOA Chicago Marathon kicks-off Oct. 9 as participants race to the finish line in Grant Park. 

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