Chicago (AFP)

Weekend of madness for the marathon: Kenyan Brigid Kosgei exploded the old world record of Paula Radcliffe in Chicago Sunday, the day after the feat of his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge, the first man to run, under unlicensed conditions, the 42.195 km in less than two hours.

Two records in diametrically opposed conditions.

Kosgei, 25, only had the help of two "hares" on most of the race to make up the distance in 2:14:04 and take 1 minute and 21 seconds off the British record. , which dated April 13, 2003, and which no one has approached for more than 16 years.

Conversely, on Saturday in Austria, Kipchoge, Olympic champion and world record holder (2h01.39 in Berlin in 2018), benefited from an army of 41 "hares" who took turns throughout the course to ensure him a homogeneous rhythm and protect it from the wind until the end of its time trial loop in 1h59 min 40 sec.

This unofficial race was sponsored and tailored by the British petrochemical company Ineos to allow the feat, with a schedule chosen according to favorable weather conditions, and a route without imperfection, tested repeatedly.

- One minute ahead halfway -

Kosgei, she was a favorite, a month after running in early September the fastest half marathon in history (1:04 min 28 sec, a record however not approved), with a title to defend in "Windy city ​​"(the windy city) on one of the most prestigious marathons on the planet.

She set the tone right from the start, outdistancing her rivals from the first few kilometers, who never saw her again.

At halfway she was already more than a minute ahead of Paula Radcliffe's record. She then remained largely in the nails of the world record until the finish line.

But this performance was not expected, as Radcliffe's 2:15:25 seemed out of reach. In 16 years, the foundress to get closer was the Kenyan Mary Jepkosgei Keitany, in 2 h 17 min 01, in 2017.

Kosgei thus explodes his previous mark of more than 4 minutes, ahead of the Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh (2h20.51) and Gelete Burka (2h20.55).

On the men's side, Kenyan Lawrence Cherono, winner in Boston this year, won in 2 h 05 min 45 sec, in a race he finished in the sprint ahead of Ethiopia's Dejene Debela (2h05.46) and Asefa Mengstu (2h05.48).

- Farah only 8th -

The Brit Mo Farah, who won in Chicago last year setting a new European record, finished eighth in 2 h 09 min 58 sec. Expected rival Galen Rupp, a former training partner at the Nike Oregon Project - which Farah was part of until 2017 - has dropped out, as has Jordan Hasay, also a member of the NOP.

This elite training center in the northwestern United States, closed on Friday by Nike who was funding, is in turmoil since the suspension last week for four years of his master, Alberto Salazar, for "organizing and incitement to banned doping conduct "after six years of investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada).

Kenya is also not spared by the suspicions of doping. The country came close to excluding the Rio Games in 2016 for this reason. He has since taken action, but was still pinned by a report of the ZDF late September. The German channel claimed, with images, that at least two athletes at the Doha Worlds were doped with EPO, and that the federation (AK) covered doping cases.

© 2019 AFP