Detroit Free Press Staff And they’re off! The Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon just started, right on time at 7 am with tens of thousands of participants and spectators filling downtown Detroit. >>> Track your runner with our app! The start was a chilly 35 degrees but that didn’t seem to bother the hordes of runners, many in shorts, anticipating bright sunny skies soon after dawn breaks — when many will be crossing the Ambassador Bridge into Canada. Today’s racing includes a full 26.2-mile marathon and two half marathons. The race goes through the streets of Detroit and Windsor. The marathon starts and ends downtown on Fort near First. We have some winners: ► Christopher Chipsiya won the men's full marathon. ► Lioudmila Kortchaguina wins women's full marathon again. ► Tom Davis of Fremont, Ind. won the handcyclist division. Live updates Can't see ScribbleLive embed? Click here. More 2018 Detroit marathon: 'Coffee man' is one of the last runners to start the Detroit marathon Weekend kicks off with 5K, kids' fun run and more Runners at expo prepare to chase their dreams<doc-sep>Bill Laitner, Brandon Folsom and Wright Wilson Special to the Detroit Free Press Thousands of runners came to Detroit to run in the 41st Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon on Sunday. Here are some of their stories: Skin-shirted player Even by Detroit marathon standards, Sunday was downright chilly, with a predawn start at 35 degrees. After sunrise, the promise of sunny skies flat-lined to breezy cloud cover. All that just added to the special challenge that veteran half-marathon runner Dr. Eduardo Aduin took on — or off, so to speak. Aduin, 38, of Bloomfield Hills decided to strip to his waist and show off his, well, quite ripped torso. “I took everything off at the bridge!” he exclaimed at the finish line, looking more exuberant than chilled after 13.1 miles of a half-marathon. His reward? Getting very noticed. “I liked that I did it because the whole race, people were going, ‘Whoa, no shirt!' " he said, chuckling as he headed for the refreshment table, still sans shirt. Pacing the crowd A big boost to any marathoner is finding a pacer — a runner holding aloft a sign labeled with a finish time. Denise Liss, 61, of Chicago proudly bore the 4-hour sign in Sunday's international half-marathon, becoming a welcome Pied Piper to countless four-hour wannabes. “I love doing this,” Liss said, after crossing the finish line within a minute or two of her goal, then drawing thanks from Laurie Pivitt, 60, of Troy, who had followed Liss for miles. Liss said she’d finished half-marathons in 28 states — “I actually did Alaska” — but she has a special place in her heart, or perhaps her quadriceps, for Detroit. “I love going across the (Ambassador) bridge. You see the sunrise. And the underwater mile (through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel) is awesome. Nobody else has it,” she said. Too late to lose What if you procrastinated and were too late to enter Sunday’s international half-marathon? If you’re Silas DeKalita, 24, of Clio, you missed the August deadline for registering to run into Canada, so you entered the U.S.-only half-marathon — widely considered an easier, less-competitive race — only to win it. “I think I won $800,” DeKalita said, as he panted at the finish line in his first Detroit marathon event. A college runner at Central Michigan University, DeKalita warmed up at Philadelphia’s Rock and Roll Marathon in September, he said. Many of those who pick the U.S.-only half-marathon have no choice. Those with a felony on their records can’t enter Canada, said Barbara Bennage, executive race director. A coach to hug Building on the power of friendship, Windsor, Ontario, resident Kelly Steele, 50, leads a running group called Kelly’s Krew. One of Steele’s pet projects this year was seeing a newbie through his first marathon. Rony Brandi, 38, also of Windsor, had never taken on anything close to a 26.2-mile marathon, he said. So they ran the Detroit marathon together, Steele in her 31st such event, Brandi in his first. At the finish line, the two hugged in triumph — and did so again for a photographer. “I just loved seeing him do this,” said Steele, a reporter for the Windsor Star newspaper. Brandi is “a finance manager for Ford,” he said. Riveting race outfits They’re enamored of the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township. And we’re enamored of their marathon relay costumes — matching Rosie the Riveter costumes, replete with red ‘kerchiefs tied around their hairdos, matching the iconic image of women who worked in factories when Detroit was the arsenal of democracy. The Rosie’s Running Team ran to show support for the museum and its fundraising campaign, team members said. “We are tribute Rosies, so we go out and raise awareness about Rosie the Riveter,” said Lenore Bolthouse of Gibraltar. Added Wendy Albers of Willis, Michigan, “Our mission is to raise funds for the museum and to bring recognition to the amazing women who served in World War II on the home front.” Also there? Caro Miranda of Lincoln Park, Lenore Bolthouse of Gibraltar and Debra Carver of Farmington Hills. Running for others Detroit's marathons have a long history of racing for charity. In recent years, charity runners have notched impressive figures for helping needy Michiganders, national causes and, lately, worldwide cries of the heart. Hope Water International is a nonprofit group that began as a small group of idealistic runners at Kensington Church in Troy. Now, it's a nationwide 501(c)3 that is independent of the church and drew 262 runners to Sunday's marathon events, executive director Bill Clark said. "We've now raised more than $5 million and we've drilled 125 wells in Kenya and Sierra Leone," countries in Africa with severely limited sources of clean water, Clark said. Metro Detroiters take clean water for granted, while in those nations, "you have two choices — either drink the dirty water and die slowly or don't drink it and die immediately," he said. Full of good cheer Sometimes runners rehydrate at aid stations along the route. At other points, they just need a pick-me-up. That’s why about 30 United Way volunteers created a “cheer station” on Sunday. They rooted. They hollered. They did everything they could to cheer on the day's competitors. “I’ve run this once before, so it’s about knowing you need that extra boost at certain parts of the race, and just being there for the runners,” said coordinator Kelly Tebay of Ypsilanti. “This is quite an accomplishment for them, so it’s pretty great.” The cheer team was stationed just before the 13.1-mile mark, at Congress and Bates. “You’re halfway there, you’ve got that second half to go, and it’s nice to be here and give them that little extra boost they need to keep on going,” Tebay said. Tebay said the best way to make an impact involved “good music and pom-poms.” The volunteers were armed with signs, and the disc jockey, Jason Gipson, played upbeat music. “I have not had to give them any instruction," Tebay said. "They came with all of this enthusiasm this morning.<doc-sep>DETROIT - Below are the top finishers from Sunday's Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon through the streets of downtown. Top 10s are listed for the marathon, international marathon, U.S-only marathon, the 5K and the one mile. Also, check out the gallery above with more than 50 photos from the race. You can also search out results here: MARATHON MEN Christopher Kipyego Chipsiya, 2:20:59, Zacatecas, Mexico Nick French, 2:21:28, Nashville, TN Sergei Zyrianov, 2:23:24, Gainesville, FL Caleb Hoover, 2:24:58, Flagstaff, AZ Tyler Sigl, 2:26:14, Seymour, WI Michael Camilleri, 2:35:40, Brighton, MI Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy, 2:37:13, Denver, CO Ryan Rau, 2:37:45, Brighton, MI Darryl Vanderwoude, 2:40:04, Edmonton, Canada Carson Rickey, 2:40:51, San Francisco, CA WOMEN Lioudmila Kortchaguina, 2:47:24, Markham, Canada Lyubov Denisova, 2:49:25, Gainesville, FL Erin Heenan, 2:50:18, Ann Arbor, MI Emily Van Wasshenova, 2:56:15, Monroe, MI Stephanie Johnston, 2:57:18, Windsor, Canada Jennifer Pearson, 2:58:53, Belmont, MI Sara Gerhardt, 2:59:37, Auburn Hills, MI Valery Hobson, 2:59:53, Kitchener, Canada Catherine Irwin, 2:59:58, Plymouth, MI Sydnie Fetherolf, 3:01:03, Norwalk, OH ----- INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON MEN Zachary Ripley, 1:05:11, Rockford, MI Morsi Rayyan, 1:08:13, Ypsilanti, MI Thomas Windle, 1:09:42, Plymouth, MI Andrew Aguanno, 1:09:56, Toronto, Canada Aleksandar Tomas, 1:13:32, Ann Arbor, MI Ian Boyle, 1:14:06, Brighton, MI Larz Popielarz, 1:14:07, Ann Arbor, MI Ryan Pickell, 1:15:05, Riverview, MI Matthew Pahl, 1:15:09, Canton, MI Julian Gazzelloni, 1:15:28, Windham, ME WOMEN Sarah Boyle, 1:17:08, Brighton, MI Sarah Kasabian-Larson, 1:22:28 6:18, Alma, MI Katelyn McCracken, 1:26:43, Chesapeake, VA Blaire Kniaziew Gervais, 1:27:48, Windsor, Canada Katherine Edwards, 1:28:06, Brooklyn, NY Aileen Mayack, 1:29:14, Warren, MI Erica Weppler, 1:29:19, Shallow Lake, Canada Alissa Folger, 1:29:41, East Lansing, MI Aleighsha Engisch, 1:30:12, Linden, MI Natalie Omahen, 1:30:14, Tecumseh, Canada ----- U.S ONLY MARATHON MEN Silas DeKalita, 1:06:42, Clio, MI Matthew Fecht , 1:06:43, Warren, MI Alex Ralston, 1:11:06, Flint, MI Patrick Woodford, 1:14:12, Chicago, IL Samuel Smith, 1:15:09, Cleveland, TN Daniel Malcolm, 1:15:25, Lansing, MI Orinthal Striggles, 1:18:22, Columbia, SC Adil Ali, 1:18:56, Ann Arbor, MI Kurt Gulick, 1:19:13, Merrill, MI Donavon Hornbeck, 1:20:32, Saint Johns, MI WOMEN Sarah Kittle, 1:22:50, Warsaw, IN Devon Sutton, 1:23:38, Royal Oak, MI Shawanna White, 1:29:29, Columbia, SC Vicki Mitchell, 1:29:34, Novi, MI Michelle Weymouth, 1:32:52, Washington, MI Sachiko Toyama, 1:32:54, Walled Lake, MI Breanna Herring, 1:33:15, Novi, MI Erica Solway, 1:34:05, Ann Arbor, MI Maria Guadalupe Nieto-Colin, 1:35:15, Jackson, MI Brogan Beyette, 1:35:56, Canton, MI ----- 5K MEN Ian Hancke, 15:15, Holt, MI Michael Cox, 15:19, Pinckney, MI Tim Moore, 15:27, Ann Arbor, MI Alex Bowman, 16:07, Detroit, MI Andrew Cusmano, 16:30, Grand Rapids, MI Alex Ralston, 16:47, Flint, MI Jonathan Harper, 17:13 5:33, Clare, MI Andrew Kuck, 17:26, Ypsilanti, MI Orinthal Striggles, 17:42, Columbia, SC Claudio Salas, 17:52, Allen Park, MI WOMEN Katelyn McCracken, 18:30, Chesapeake, VA Erin Webster, 18:32, Dearborn, MI Elizabeth Boyle, 19:11, Ann Arbor, MI Suzanne Larsen, 19:17, Fenton, MI Alex McIntosh, 20:09, Dearborn, MI Amanda Wolski, 20:20, Dearborn, MI Julie Croushorn, 20:49, Birmingham, AL Becky Schout, 20:49, Saint Clair Shores, MI Mindy Fernando, 20:50, Franklin, MI Cecile Dautriat, 21:07, Plymouth, MI ----- 1 MILE MEN Ross Wightman, 4:35, Chatham, NY Orinthal Striggles, 4:55, Columbia, SC Matthew Yacoub, 4:57, Northville, MI Matthew Brown, 5:01, Walled Lake, MI Sean Dougherty, 5:10, Ypsilanti, MI Jeph Maagdeleyn, 5:40, Windsor, Canada Brandon Fisher, 5:43, Phoenix, AZ Kenton McCosh, 5:43, Hillsdale, MI Brendon Thiede, 5:45, Holt, MI Christopher Trevarthen, 5:47, Garden City, MI WOMEN Nicole Sifuentes, 4:54, Plymouth, MI Jaimie Phelan, 5:06, Ypsilanti, MI Jennifer Blindert, 5:16, Lake Orion, MI Zuzana Tomas, 5:32, Ann Arbor, MI Katelyn McCracken, 5:34, Chesapeake, VA Suzanne Larsen, 5:42, Fenton, MI Erin Cvengros, 6:09, Royal Oak, MI Emily Doss, 6:15, West Bloomfield, MI Mindy Fernando, 6:21, Franklin, MI Sierra Willis, 6:34, Ann Arbor, MI<doc-sep>Geoff Robinson Special to The Detroit News Detroit — Christopher Chipsiya of Kenya had a score to settle Sunday. After finishing in second place in the Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon in 2016 and 2017, Chipsiya finally got the weather he wanted and carved out a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, 2 seconds to bring home the win in 2018. For his efforts, the 44-year-old Chipsiya nets $4,000 for winning the race, as well as an extra $2,000 for winning the masters division (40+). More:Detroit Marathon closes roads downtown Sunday Chipsiya cut more than six minutes off of his finishing time in 2017, something he attributed to the cooler running temperatures. Last year, temperatures for the marathon hit 70 degrees, while this year gave the runners much cooler conditions in the high-30s. “It was humid (last year),” Chipsiya said. “Today, I found the weather a little better for me and that’s why I had a lot of energy.” Chipsiya, who still lives in Kenya with his family but trains for part of the year in Mexico, attributed his love of running in cooler weather to his upbringing in the high altitudes of his hometown in Kenya. “I like running with cold weather,” he said. “I was born in Kenya in high altitudes, and that’s really the reason.” When asked if he’ll be back in 2019 to defend his new crown, Chipsiya was non-committal. “You know I’m getting old now,” he said. “If I feel my feet are ready, I’ll come back.” Women’s division sees second-time winner Lioudmila Kortchaguina didn’t run quite as fast as when she emerged victorious in 2016, but that didn’t make the win any less sweet for the Russian-born Canadian citizen, who won the race in Detroit for the second time in three years after finishing second in 2017. The 47-year-old’s win makes things easier for those that cut the checks to the winners, as Kortchaguina matched Chipsiya and took home $6,000 for winning both the race and the masters division. Kortchaguina finished with a time of 2:47.26, nearly four minutes slower than her 2016 time. She did, however, cut more than eight minutes off her 2017 time, something she also attributed to the better running conditions. “This year the weather was just for me, I love this weather,” she said. “This was just awesome.” While Kortchaguina said she’s won too many races over her career to keep an accurate count, she did say that Detroit is a special place to run. “Running the bridge and the tunnel is amazing,” she said. “You get to go over the water and under the water. You never see that in any other races.” Despite a training regimen that has her running over 100 miles per week, Kortchaguina said it was time to head out to a local brewery to celebrate her win with a beer. Geoff Robinson is a freelance writer.<doc-sep>
Brandon Folsom Special to the Detroit Free Press Lioudmila Kortchaguina doesn't have much left to prove. The 47-year-old, who is of Russian descent but became a Canadian citizen in 2005, has won more marathons than she can quickly recount in her head, so now she just runs the races she finds to be the most fun. Consider the marathon here one of those races. Kortchaguina, for the second time, won the 41st Detroit Free Press/Chemical Bank Marathon on Sunday, cutting through the windy 26.2-mile international course alongside runner-up Julie Szeliga of Royal Oak. She crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 24 seconds, maintaining a 6-minute, 24-second mile pace. She was just over 4 minutes slower than her first win here in 2016 (2:43:54). More: Detroit marathon: Christopher Chipsiya wins men's full marathon "I like this race, I won it before and I was second last year," said Kortchaguina, who posted a runner-up time of 2:55:50 in 2017. "So I thought I'd do it again. This year it was just for me. I love this race. "Last year, it was too hot for me. This year was just awesome. The weather was awesome here." Kortchaguina is the seventh female to win multiple Detroit marathons and the first to do so since Lyubov Denisova won her third in 2015. She said she was focused on mileage and speed leading up to this year's running, putting in 100 practice miles a week. Her only focus Sunday was to maintain the same pace throughout the entire race. [Check out results, times from all the races] Unlike in 2017, when she kept up with a pack of male marathoners, she chose to run side by side with Szeliga (2:49:22) for most of the morning. "We ran together until 20 kilometers," Kortchaguina said. "After that, I just tried to run away from her." Kortchaguina did just that, beating Szeliga by about 2 minutes. Kortchaguina said she enjoys returning to Detroit each year for the loud, crazy crowds and the scenery along the course. "It's a crowd with so many people around here and on the Canada side," she said. "It's so amazing. ... And I like the (Ambassador) Bridge and the (Detroit–Windsor) Tunnel. It's crazier than any other race because you can run above and under the water." And, just like her 2016 win here, Kortchaguina says she'll celebrate by visiting two breweries in Dearborn — Downey Brewing Company and Dearborn Brewing Company — with her husband. She expects to run the Detroit marathon again in 2019. "I won the race," she said. "So why not?"