For the Record, It Will Be Fast!
You can't help rooting for Evans Rutto of Kenya. His plan is simple: Go for the world record. It comes with fame and fortune, you know.

When you have The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon's fast course, you have an inviting platform for the best runners in the world to do what they do best. After months of preparation, Rutto will lead a select group that will converge on Chicago's stage and give it a go the morning of October 10. Their ultimate target is the 2:04:55 world best put up by Kenyan Paul Tergat just over a year ago at the Berlin Marathon.

If a runner sets a world record in Chicago this year, it's worth $125,000 for the win and $300,000 for the record. That's a cool $425,000 before sponsor bonuses are factored in. If someone goes under 2:04:30, add another $100,000. It really does pay to run in Chicago.

Defending champion Rutto knows his chance has arrived. He is fresh and fit. Khalid Khannouchi is a little older now, but a little wiser, too. When you toss in Paul Koech of Kenya, last year's runner-up, Japan's Toshinari Takaoka and Japanese-trained Daniel Njenga, you have a fearsome fivesome.

"I'm not scared of anybody," Rutto said during a summer visit to Chicago. "I'm coming to defend my title."

Against this crew, it won't be easy.

"I think this nucleus of guys is probably the best we've ever had," executive race director Carey Pinkowski said. "They're all aggressive. They're all in good shape and all have different motivations for coming. These are the top five guys in a perfect world that I wanted to come back and they're all here. On the men's side, we weren't affected by the Olympics at all."

Breaking the world record is much easier said than done. Erasing Tergat's 2:04:55 will depend a lot on the weather. If it's cool and not too humid, this elite bunch of athletes will be running a hot pace. Word is they're shooting for sub 1:02:30 for the half-marathon split. Consider the possibilities. This isn't Athens, where the long hills came into play. This is Chicago, where it's all about speed.

"Evans ran a very conservative race last year," Pinkowski said. "I think you're going to see him flirting with the world record."

Rutto won his marathon debut in Chicago last year, running tentatively but still putting up a 2:05:50. He followed up with another "upset" victory at London in the spring. This year, he's been training harder. There is a great race inside this man and Pinkowski hopes he runs it in Chicago.

"Evans showed it wasn't beginner's luck with his win in London," Pinkowski said. "He took a hard fall in that race, got up and ran masterfully. He manhandled Sammy Korir, the guy who was a second behind Tergat at Berlin. Evans is the guy who is going to be exciting. He's been preparing for 16 weeks to come here to run fast."

Rutto says everything has to be right for an assault on Tergat's record.

"I'm going to try and run a very good time," said the poker-faced Rutto. "It depends on the weather and how the training goes."

Pinkowski has high hopes for the 26-year-old from the Eldoret area in Kenya, who trains under coach Dieter Hogan and is one of what team manager Tom Ratcliffe calls "Hogan's Heroes." Rutto has been training in a group of seven or eight runners, who all will be in the race. The group includes the pace setters, and the plan is to have a seamless chemistry in the group, so there are no mysteries on race morning.

"The guys trained together for nine weeks in Kenya, stopped in Chicago for two days, and have been in Boulder ever since," Pinkowski said. "Collectively, they'll all know each other like the backs of their hands. There will be no surprises on race morning with the rabbits (who include Boston marathon winner Timothy Cherigat)."

Khannouchi, 32, has won this race four times and set a world record in 2:05:42 here in 1999 that he broke himself with a 2:05:38 at London in 2002. Then came Tergat's run at Berlin.

"It's going to be very exciting here," Khannouchi said in an interview when he visited Chicago early in the summer. "It's going to be a big matchup with Evans Rutto and the rest of the field, so I hope we can bring some excitement and drama to another edition (of the race)."

Khannouchi has had his ups and downs with foot injuries the past couple of years, but appears to be in top shape.

"Just when you think he's not ready, he'll be ready," Pinkowski said. "He's the ultimate guy when it comes to playing possum. He realizes what he needs to do and when he needs to do it. That's the beauty of the guy. He's patient. I don't think he's ready to abdicate his throne yet. And, he says he gets energized here."

Koech also will be in the mix. He was at the front of the chase pack last year after Rutto broke away at about 18 miles. Njenga has been very steady. He won a three-way sprint for second in 2002 against Tergat and Takaoka, with all three finishing in 2:06:16. Last year, he was slightly off form, but still grabbed third with a nice 2:07:41.

Takaoka will be eyed closely by the elite pack. He is the one who came into the 2002 race with a PR of 2:09:41 and broke away from the shocked leaders around the 19-mile mark. He was reeled in by Khannouchi (who won in 2:05:56) late in the race and ended up third. Did Takaoka learn patience? We'll find out.

If there is a relative unknown runner who is on target for a major breakthrough, it's "Hogan's Heroes" member Stephen Kiagora of Kenya. He's run 2:12:29, but is ready to go much faster. Reports from Boulder, circulating in late August, had him flying through high-altitude runs, staying right with Rutto.

That points to some red-hot pacing and racing in Chicago.