Kenya's Brigid Kosgei wins Chicago Marathon breaking Paula Radcliffe's 16 year-old record as Cherono wins men's race

Brigid Kosgei wins the Chicago Marathon and breaks Paula Radcliffe's record which has stood for 16 years

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei shattered Paula Radcliffe's 16-year-old women's marathon world record Sunday, winning the Chicago Marathon in two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds.

Kosgei broke the mark of 2:15:25 set by Radcliffe in the London Marathon on April 13, 2003 as she won in Chicago for the second straight year.

Kosgei, the 25-year-old who won the London Marathon in April and clocked the fastest half-marathon in history this year of 1:04:28 at the Great North Run, quickly separated herself from the women's field as she ran with two male pace-setters.

She crossed the finish line alone, with Ethiopians Ababel Yeshaneh and Gelete Burka a distant second and third in 2:20:51 and 2:20:55.

While the IAAF recognizes the 2:17:01 clocked by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany at the 2017 London Marathon as a "women only" world record posted without male pace-setters, it's Radcliffe's mark -- so long untouchable -- that has been the grail for female marathon runners.

Kosgei broke the mark of 2:15:25 set by Radcliffe in the London Marathon on April 13, 2003.

Kosgei's performance continued a remarkable weekend in the punishing event, coming a day after fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to break two hours at the distance when he clocked 1hr 59min 40.2sec on a specially prepared course in a Vienna park.

Kosgei signalled her intentions with an astonishing first five kilometers in 15:28 -- so far inside Radcliffe's world record pace that it seemed she might have ruined her chances out of the gate.

But she settled into a more sustainable pace and powered relentlessly to the finish line.

Lawrence Cherono wins the 2019 Chicago Marathon in 2:05:45

Kenya's Lawrence Cherono won a men's race that came down to the wire in 2:05:45 -- barely edging Ethiopia's Dejene Debela who was second in 2:05:46 with another Ethiopian, Asefa Mengstu, third in 2:05:48.

Last year's winner Mo Farah of Britain was never a factor -- finishing a distant eighth in 2:09:58.

It was a disappointing end for Farah to a week that began amid a hail of questions about the scandal surrounding his former coach Alberto Salazar.

US distance running guru Salazar has been banned for four years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for a string of doping violations.

Salazar has denied wrongdoing, but Nike shut down its Oregon Project running group headed by Salazar, and four-time Olympic gold medalist Farah arrived in Chicago for his defence to find himself again denying any irregularities during his time with the coach.