Marathon, world record

From Chicago comes the marathon world record for the second year in a row, last year that of Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum (2h00:35), who later tragically passed away in a car accident, and today that of 30-year-old compatriot Ruth Chepngetich, world champion in Doha in 2019, which is absolutely stratospheric. On her third success in Chicago, Chepngetich topped it by breaking both the 2h11 barrier for the first time in history and still the one considered unattainable at 2h10, ending the extraordinary ride in 2h09:56, taking almost two minutes off Ethiopian Tigist Assefa&#39s record of 2h11:53 in Berlin on Sept. 24 last year.

Leading from the first to the last meter, the Kenyan began to take substantial advantage after the first ten kilometers, building up a sixteen-second lead by the halfway point of the race (1h04:16 at the half marathon!), gradually increasing the margin over her opponents and fighting alone against the hypothesis of the record, clearly in her legs with the monstrous passes taken every five kilometers. With a second half of 1h05:40 (!), the record that was visibly already in the Kenyan woman&#39s pocket came by a margin impossible to imagine. These are the passages of the race-record: 15:00 (fifth kilometer), 30:14 (tenth), 45:32 (fifteenth), 1h00:51 (twentieth), 1h04:16 (half-marathon), 1h16:17 (twenty-fifth, best ever performance), 1h31:49 (thirtieth, best ever performance), 1h47:32 (thirty-fifth, best ever performance), closing again in push in 2h09:56. Behind Chepngetich’s record, also parading with impressive chrono times were Ethiopian Sutume Asefa, world 2024 leader until yesterday, in 2h17:32, and Kenyan Irine Cheptai (2h17:51). Best American Susanna Sullivan, seventh in 2h21:56.

It was also the day of John Korir, already third in a past edition, today winner with personal best raised from 2h05:01 to 2h02:44 (sixth all-time) thanks to a decisive action imposed about seven miles from the finish. Also on the podium were Ethiopian Mohamed Heseydin Esa (2h04:49) and Kenyan Amos Kipruto (2h04:50). First of the Americans C.J. Albertson, seventh in 2h08:17). Fifth, in his 42-kilometer debut, Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo, in 2h06:04. In the wheelchair races Swiss jubilation, with race record for Catherine Debrunner (1h46:12), fifth success in Chicago for Marcel Hug (1h25:54) after a finish on the rope due to the closeness of U.S. Daniel Romanchuk (1h25:58) and Japan’s Tomoki Suzuki (1h26:05).

The words of Roberto Baggio and Pep Guardiola

Roberto Baggio and Pep Guardiola were the great guests of “Che tempo che fa” on the Nine. “I would have loved to play more years with him. I could always find him on the field. I had so much fun in Brescia”, the words of the Manchester City coach.

The Divin Codino revealed an anecdote: “Mazzone was afraid of dogs and had treated one of my comrades badly becauseé he had brought his little dog to’training. After 10 days I arrived with my labrador. Mazzone came out of the locker room, saw the dog running, got scared, and asked whose dog it was. ‘Mister, è from Robi’. And he ‘Aò, let him play, let’s give him a cookie’.

“Baggio è the greatest talent I played with,” continued the Spaniard. “I met him at the end of his career, he had a knee that looked like a washing machine, he could not move. Robi won everyone’s admiration, there’s no one in Italy who doesn’t love him, because he’s different”.

Filling in on the future: “My last year in Manchester? I have to reflect, I haven’t decided yet whether I stay or leave. If Robi accompanies me, maybe I will come to coach in Italy”.

Win by Dan Bradbury

England’s Dan Bradbury won a hard-fought 106ª edition of the FedEx Open de France, on the course at Le Golf National (par 71) in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines near Paris, France, where the 2018 Ryder Cup è will be held. With a partial score of 66 (-5) born of five birdies, including three consecutive ones between the decisive holes 14 and 16, and a score of 268 (67 66 69 66, -16), he edged out German Yannik Paul, Englishman Sam Bairstow and Danes Jeff Winther and Thorbjorn Olesen, second with 269 (-15), by one stroke.

Author of an’excellent performance Francesco Laporta, also among the dozen players who were in the running for the title until the last strokes, who with his sixth place (270 – 73 64 66 67, -14), shared with Englishman Matthew Jordan, sealed his best result of the season. He finished with a 67 (-4, two bogeys at the start and six successive birdies). After a very difficult start (97° with 73, +2 and with a +6 on the front nine) the Apulian definitely changed pace climbing to 17th° place in the second round and sixth in the third, which he then maintained. The U.S. Gunner Wiebe and Johannes Veerman, eighth with 271 (-13), also tried to have their say, but gave up in the final round.

Of the other Italians, Guido Migliozzi è ranked 18th ° with 275 (68 73 67 67, -9) thanks to a double 67 (-4). With the first in the third round è climbed from 64° to 39° place and with the second (six birdies, two bogeys) he recovered another twenty-one positions. He gave up, however, Matteo Manassero, 49° with 279 (71 67 74, -5), who had made two good middle rounds.

Dan Bradbury, 25, of Wakefield, claimed his second title after his first in 2022 (Joburg Open) at 55ª presence on the circuit. In an all-too-disappointing season so far, with only ten cuts made in the first 25 tournaments (two top tens and mostly mid-table placings), he received a check for $552,500 out of a prize pool of $3,250,000 in a single event, practically double what he had earned so far in 2024.