This article originally appeared in the December issue of MAJORS. Available to view here.
Over 2,500 runners toed the start line at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon to run for the title of Age Group World Champion, with near perfect conditions setting the stage for fast running in the Windy City.
Among them was the great Gene Dykes, who had narrowly missed his age group’s American record two weeks earlier at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. He was not to be denied on this occasion. Sporting his bright pink running shirt emblazoned with the ‘Ultra-geezer’ moniker his daughter coined for him, Dykes blazed his way to 3:17:01 to win the M75-79 title and take the American record down in style.
“It feels good to set a goal and then achieve it,” said Dykes. “You can do that whether you’re going for records or not. My favorite world record is No. 1 for enjoying running. It’s a 50,00-way tie but that’s a record everyone should go for.”
Dykes was joined in the record books by the irrepressible Jeannie Rice, who set a time of 3:34:32 in the F70-74 category to claim a new world record in that age group.
Another American, Jenny Hitchings, confirmed her status as the quickest 60-64-year-old female on the planet, also setting a new world record of 2:49:33 to claim that age group crown as well. Hitchings’ time would have been quick enough to win the F50-54 and F55-59 categories.
Hitchings was followed home by the 2022 champion Mary Slocum from Ireland, who took the silver medal in 3:10:48 to add to the first place she claimed in London the previous year.
Slocum lost her husband John to bowel cancer in 2017 and began running seriously following his passing. “I was able to do a little bit of running in between taking care of him, he always encouraged me to run and that was a driving force behind my racing,” said Slocum.
“I know when I achieve something like this, my boys are proud of me. I’m thinking of them and thinking of their dad, who would have been very proud today as well.”
In the F45-49 category, Japan’s Mai Fujisawa was the only woman to defend her title, becoming double world champion with 2:41:43.
In the M40-45 age group, Ken Rideout finally topped the rostrum after a string of impressive marathons made him a heavy favourite following his second-place finish in London in 2021. Rideout’s 2:29:06 was his third Major under 2:30 since 2021.
Australia’s Wayne Spies was second in the M50-54 age group. The legendary Comrades Marathon runner – who has completed 11 editions of South Africa’s prestigious ultra-marathon – finished in 2:29:54 to take silver, just 20 seconds ahead of the 2022 M45-49 champion Tom van Ongeval of Belgium.
With the qualifying year almost at an end, attention now turns to selection for the 2024 championship race, taking place within the Sydney Marathon on October 15.
Sydney will be the first race to host the championships outside the Majors and the third continent for the world’s fastest Age Groupers to come together in pursuit of global titles.
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