Brigid Kosgey overcomes rain and pain to win the 2018 Chicago Marathon

Brigid Kosgey maintained Kenya’s glory in international marathons as she triumphed in this year’s Chicago Marathon beating her closet challenger for the top prize, Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje, by over two minutes.

For Kosgei, it was a breakthrough win after only managing to finish second twice; in Chicago last year and in London this year.

She opened her 2018 season with a boom, finishing second in London. With Sunday's race, Kosgei has finished first or second in eight of her nine career marathons.

She said she enjoyed the rain that fell on runners during this year's race. "I enjoy when the rain is coming. I enjoy the run more than no rain," she said.

Brigid Kosgey gunned to get her Chicago Marathon under her personal best at the race of 2 hours, 20 seconds.

“At 5 kilometers (remaining), I saw the other competitors, they were not following me I again. I just kept pushing myself and looking at the time.” She said adding that she kept thinking about her projected time, “2:18, 2:18, 2:18 and I just moved alone and finished like that.”

“I was not expecting to 2:18 but I was expecting 2:19 this year,” she said. “But whereby today I get 2:18, I just say thanks to God.” She adds.

The 24-year-old endured pain and the rain to set a new personal best of 2:18:35. Before starting the race, she says, she took painkillers to cool her hurting knee. She had injured her right knee after a tumble at Bogota Half Marathon, Colombia, in July this year and the effects kept creeping even right before she started the race.