Moroccan’s First Marathon Rates As Fourth-Fastest Ever

Khalid Khannouchi of Morocco made a stunning marathon debut Sunday by winning the Chicago Marathon with the fourth-fastest time ever, 2 hours, 7 minutes, 10 seconds, while Jerry Lawson set an American record of 2:09:35 for a loop course in finishing seventh.

Khannouchi’s time, just 20 seconds off the world record, also set a course record, breaking the mark of 2:07:13 by Steve Jones in 1985. Fred Kiprop of Kenya was runner-up at 2:08:19.

Khannouchi had the fastest world clocking this year and the fastest debut time ever.

Marian Sutton of Britain was the women’s winner for the second straight year with a personal best 2:29:03. Gitte Karlshoj of Denmark was second at 2:31:31. The fastest American woman was fourth-place finisher Christine McNamara of Boulder, Colo., at 2:33:08. Joan Benoit Samuelson, 40, the American record-holder with 2:21:21 at Chicago in 1985, was the 23rd woman finisher at 2:46:34.

Brad Hudson of Boulder, Colo., won the Detroit Marathon with the fastest winning time in 16 years, 2:15:50, beating Jerod Neas by 31 seconds.

In the women’s race, Lyubov Klochko, 38, a native of Ukraine now living in Albuquerque, N.M., won with a time of 2:39:59. Last year’s winner, Cindy Keeler, 39, of Lake Worth, Fla., finished second in 2:43:47.