Toronto will get to see world record-calibre marathoner in October
Dickson Chumba will be arguably the greatest runner ever to race a marathon in Canada when he goes for the all-comers' record at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has landed one of the top marathon performers in history in Dickson Chumba. In the last few years, the event has attracted some talented athletes, but Chumba is easily the most impressive. And what’s most exciting about the 30-year-old Kenyan is that Canadians are going to get to see him race in his prime.
Chumba is known for being a tough customer. He won the pacer-less 2015 Chicago Marathon by executing a flawless tactical race. He’s also run a few scorchers, including the lighting fast 2014 edition of Chicago, when Eliud Kipchoge led the field and Chumba finished third in his PB of 2:04:32.
But perhaps Chumba’s craziest race came just this year, when he kept pace with Wilson Kipsang for nearly 35K, as both attempted to break the world record. Kipsang put down some jaw-dropping splits through 30K, and only Chumba was able to keep up.
Canada’s all-comers’ marathon record of 2:06:54 is a relatively pedestrian time for a marathoner of Chumba’s talent. It should go down on Oct. 22 if Chumba stays healthy and catches a reasonable day for racing on the streets of Toronto.
Let’s take a look at a collection of Dickson Chumba’s impressive stats as a marathoner.
Standout numbers from Chumba’s career so far
2:54
Chumba’s pace per kilometre for 35K of the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, which was at world record pace until 30K
4
Marathon wins: Chicago, Tokyo, Eindhoven and Rome
10
Top-three finishes in Chumba’s career thus far
14
Number of marathons finished
2:04:32
Chumba’s PB, from 2014
2:06:42
Chumba’s average time since his 2014 breakthrough
2:14:08
His slowest marathon to date, the 2013 Boston Marathon, where he finished seventh in an incredibly slow and unevenly paced race
Notable runners Chumba has beat:
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie
New York City Marathon winner; 2015 World Championship gold medallist
Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele Multiple gold medallist/world record holder, second fastest marathoner in history
Sammy Kitwara
2:04:28 personal best
Credit: photorun.net
Wesley Korir
Boston Marathon winner
A consistent performer at the World Marathon Majors
| World Marathon Majors | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Marathon | – | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd |
| Boston Marathon | 7th | – | – | – | – |
| London Marathon | – | – | – | – | – |
| Berlin Marathon | – | – | – | – | – |
| Chicago Marathon | – | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | – |
| New York City Marathon | – | – | – | – | – |
Dickson Chumba’s marathon progression
The Kenyan has been a consistent performer, averaging 2:06:42 since his 2014 breakthrough in Chicago
| PERFORMANCE | PLACE | DATE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2:06:25 | Tokyo | 26 FEB |
| 2016 | 2:07:34 | Tokyo | 28 FEB |
| 2015 | 2:06:34 | Tokyo | 22 FEB |
| 2014 | 2:04:32 (PB) | Chicago | 12 OCT |
| 2013 | 2:10:15 | Amsterdam | 20 OCT |
| 2012 | 2:05:46 | Eindhoven | 14 OCT |
| 2011 | 2:07:23 | Frankfurt | 30 OCT |
| 2010 | 2:11:54 | Madrid | 25 APR |
Chumba’s insane 2017 Tokyo Marathon splits
Along with eventual winner Wilson Kipsang, Chumba ran nearly 30K under world record pace in February (even world record splits in parentheses)
5K: 14:15 (14:34)
10K: 28:50 (29:08)
15K: 43:34 (43:42)
20K: 58:05 (58:16)
13.1: 1:01:22 (1:01:27.5)
25K: 1:12:47 (1:12:50)
30K: 1:27:27 (1:27:24)
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