TEMPTING CHICAGO: Chumba, Kiplagat back for Chicago Marathon on Sunday to battle Kipketer siblings for glory

Dickson Chumba and Florence Kiplagat will be back for another shot at their titles at the 39th Bank of America Chicago Marathon run on Sunday.

They are among the four past winners among them 2012 Ethiopian victors Tsegaye Kebede and Atsede Baysa, to headline Chicago Marathon run on Sunday evening.

Last year, the duo led Kenya triumph in the race for the second time in three years, which eventually set the stage for the Rio Olympic Games selections.

But they were excluded from Olympics and thus will be out to prove a point as they consolidate points for the 2016/2017 Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) series jackpot race.

The WMM standings would be tilted after the race on Sunday and the New York City Marathon on November 6.

The Abbott WMM jackpot, whose chief sponsor is global health services provider Abbott, started with the Tokyo Marathon in February and, besides Boston and London, the other races included the Olympic marathon and Berlin Marathon.

Chumba, who has a 2:04.32 personal best, takes on an elite field that has Ethiopia’s 42km maestro Tsegaye Kebede (2:04.38) and two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui (2:05.04) in his bid to lower the course record set by Dennis Kimetto (2:03.45) in 2013.

Micah Kogo (2:06.56), popularly known as ‘Civilian’, Paul Lonyangata (2:07.14) and Collins Kosgei Boiywo are also in the mix.

Gideon Kipketer (2:08.14) and her elder sister Valentine Kipketer (2:23.02) will give Chicago Marathon fans a spectacular sight to behold as the emerging star siblings in America’s fastest marathon race.

Japanese Koji Gokaya (2:09.21), Takuya Fukatsu (2:09.31) and America’s Luke Puskedra (2:10.24) and Elkanah Kibet (2:11.31) are also itching for the Bank of America prize money.

Kenya’s Stephen Sambu, Chris Burnett of USA and Daniel Wallis of New Zealand are the race debutants.

Chumba, the 2014 Tokyo Marathon champion, held off strong challenge last year as he turned into the final 200m of the race with no one near him.

The 30-year-old crossed the finish line in 2:09:25, 25 seconds ahead of his compatriot Sammy Kitwara.