Christopher Kipyego

He returned for the Mexico City Marathon, placing tenth, before traveling to the Istanbul Marathon in Turkey, where he finished 32nd.

At the end of the year, he attempted to defend his title at the Monterrey Marathon, where he finished third in 2:15:48.

He finished the year with a win at the 45th Gobernador Marathon in Mexicali, Mexico, in 2:19:23.

Kipyego was not finished in Duluth.

Christopher Kipyego (born 13 June 1974) is a runner from Kenya who has won multiple major marathon races, including the Mexico City Marathon (spanish: Maratón Internacional de la Ciudad de México) in 2006 with a time of 2:17:23.

Christopher Kipyego emerged as a competitive runner in 2003 when he scored 3rd place in the First KAAA Cross Country 4K in Nairobi, Kenya finishing in 10:42, just behind Raymond Yator and World Championship cross country competitor Samson Ngetich.

At the halfway point, he was running in a lead pack with 2003 winner George Okworo and Mexican Alejandro Cuahtepizi.

They raced passed the Angel of Independence and other landmarks while the leaders were striding through the heat.

They raced past political protesters who had been occupying the Plaza del Zócalo in support of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, garnering cheers of "Mexico! Mexico!"

The protest did not obstruct the race, and Kipyego pulled away from the pack to finish ten seconds ahead of Okworo for first prize and 270,000 pesos (or $22,800 USD).

Four months later, he went on to beat that time and win his second marathon in a row at the Powerade Monterrey Marathon in Monterrey, Mexico.

He ran the first half in 1:08:40 and negative split the second half (1:06:03) for a personal record by more than three minutes, scoring a 2:14:43.

Shortly after, Kipyego participated in the highly competitive Atlas Guadalajara Half Marathon in Guadalajara, Mexico where he finished 5th in 1:04:34.

Kipyego settled in Mexico and in 2004, competed in the Mexican National Championship 5K in Mazatlán, where he finished third in 14:15 behind Alejandro Suarez and Rafael Sanchez.

Suarez would go on to win the North American 5K Championships.

The following day, Kipyego ran the second-fastest half marathon he would ever run: 1:03:55 for second place in the Gran Pacifico Mazatlán Half Marathon, where he was just behind Isaac Kimaiyo.

The day also saw the fastest ever woman's marathon in Latin America when Dorota Gruca finished the full marathon in 2:28:49.

Kipyego placed in the top 10 at several other half marathons through 2006, including a repeat 5th at the Guadalajara Half.

He won the Tlaquepaque Half Marathon (Spanish: Medio Maratón de Tlaquepaque) in Tlaquepaque, Mexico.

The race featured Kenyan competition with Momanyi Evans and Philip Kemei, and several course snafus.

The media vehicles were allowed on the course, and they crowded the three runners, cutting them off in the narrow streets.

Then, toward the end of the race, the leaders were directed the wrong way.

They had to double back and lost about a minute in the rerouting.

All three runners finished within four seconds of each other.

Kipyego was in the front with a time of 1:05:06.

On Aug. 27, Kipyego emerged on the world stage at the Mexico City Marathon, an IAAF Gold-labelled event.

In March 2007, Kipyego traveled to the United States for the 22nd Los Angeles Marathon.

On a new point-to-point course lined with an estimated 1 million spectators, Kipyego trailed Kenyans Fred Mogaka and Moses Kororia and finished third in 2:18:21.

In 2008 and 2009, Kipyego finished in the top 10 at several Mexican marathons and half marathons.

In both years, he won the Tangamanga International Marathon (spanish Maratón Internacional Tangamanga, Mexico) in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

In 2010, Kipyego again set a personal record for the marathon distance when he traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona for the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in January 2010.

More than 8,000 runners filled the streets and ran to downtown Tempe, Arizona, led by a group of seven.

At the 24-mile mark, Ethiopian Terefe Yae turned over a quick mile, with Kipyego in pursuit.

Yae pushed to a win, with Kipyego second in 2:12:56, 15-seconds behind.

He won second place at Panama City International Marathon, the Santiago Marathon in Chile and a marathon in Juarez, Mexico.

And he was in the United States again in the summer, where he raced his first Grandma's Marathon from Two Harbors, Minnesota to Duluth.

He came in second in 2:16:00 to win more than $8,000.

He returned in 2011, and made a bold claim that he would win the race.

He took 1st at the Puebla Volkswagen Marathon in Puebla, Mexico with a time of 2:18:46.

And after a disappointing finish in the Netherlands' Eindhoven Marathon, he returned to Mexico to win the Gran Pacifico Mazatlán Marathon in 2:16:12.