CHICAGO -- Patrick Ivuti edged Jaouad Gharib in a photo finish to win the muggy Chicago Marathon on Sunday, giving Kenya its fifth straight title.
Ivuti, competing in only his second major marathon, leaned at the finish line for an unofficial time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 11 seconds. It was the hottest Chicago Marathon ever, with temperatures reaching 88 degrees when Ivuti finished.
Gharib, from Morocco, had the same unofficial time, losing by a fraction of a second.
The two surged ahead of defending champion Robert Cheruiyot and Daniel Njenga at the 22-mile mark to make it a two-man race. Gharib then led for much of the final four miles before Ivuti made a push on the final mile.
The duo traded leads on the stretch run down Columbus Avenue before Ivuti's final push at the finish line. The race was so close that it took organizers several minutes to determine the official winner.
Njenga finished third, and Cheruiyot finished fourth.
Cheruiyot was in position to defend his title, but stomach craps forced him to drop back at the 22-mile mark. Cheruiyot, who last year slipped on the finish line and banged his head on the pavement as he raised his hands to celebrate, finished in 2:16:13.
Almost 10,000 of the 45,000 registered runners opted to not race in the heat despite more mist stations, cooling buses and water-soaked sponges.
The previous record of 84 degrees was set in 1979.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com
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