Kenyan Evans Cheruiyot won the Chicago Marathon on Sunday for his second successive victory since moving up to the distance last year, while Russia's Lidiya Grigoryeva claimed the women's title also on her Chicago debut.

Cheruiyot, 26, finished in a personal best time of two hours, six minutes and 25 seconds after breaking away from fellow countryman David Mandago about a mile before the finish line.

Grigoryeva, 34, finished in 2:27:17, over two minutes ahead of fellow Russian Alevtina Biktimirova in second place.

Running in only his second marathon, Cheruiyot shaved nearly three minutes off the time he set when winning on his debut in Milan last December. "This is my first time in Chicago, but I really enjoyed it. I'm very happy," a smiling Cheruiyot said minutes after the race.

Mandago, who at one point late in the race led Cheruiyot by several metres, finished second in a time of 2:07:37. Kenya's Timothy Cherigat took third place in 2:11:39.

Kenyan men have taken top honours in the Chicago race for six successive years.

Grigoryeva, the 2007 Boston Marathon champion and twice an Olympian, finished a comfortable distance ahead of Biktimirova who came home in a time of 2:29:32.

"It's a dream come true," said Grigoryeva, who pulled ahead of Biktimirova near the 20-mile mark.

Kiyoko Shimahara of Japan finished third in 2:30:19, and Romania's Constantina Tomescu, the Beijing Olympics gold medalist, took fourth place in 2:30:57.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 14, 2008)