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Kenya’s Kipchoge wins Chicago Marathon

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Eliud Kipchoge had an ear-to-ear grin while he ran away with the Chicago Marathon. Minutes later, Rita Jeptoo raised her arms and sunk to her knees after she repeated as women’s champion.

It was quite a day for the Kenyans.

Kipchoge led a 1-2-3 finish for his country at the Chicago Marathon, while Jeptoo again took the prize for the women on Sunday.

Kipchoge pulled away over the last two miles for his first major marathon victory, finishing in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 11 seconds. He was followed by Sammy Kitwara in 2:04:28 and Dickson Chumba in 2:04:32.

Jeptoo was timed in 2:24:35 in winning her fourth straight major marathon. She also won the Boston Marathon in April and captured the 2013-14 World Marathon Majors points championship.

Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia (2:25:37) was second and Florence Kiplagat of Kenya (2:25:57) was third.

“Today was a great day for me and my fans,” said Jeptoo, who struggled with the wind on a day when the temperature was ideal. “I’m happy to be here. … I was having fun.”

The winners earned $100,000. Jeptoo received an extra $500,000 for winning the series championship, and Kipchoge picked up a $55,000 time bonus.

With a flat course and an ideal forecast, there was plenty of talk before the race about fast times.

The skies were clear and the temperature — 46 degrees — was just about right when the race started. But the wind picked up and the men’s and women’s leaders didn’t break away until the latter stages of the races.

“It’s the marathon,” executive race director Carey Pinkowski said. “We talked a lot about fast times. … It became tactical racing. The women obviously started watching each other a little bit. The men became much more of a competition and much more gamesmanship. So that was exciting. Toward the end there, Eliud ran a great race and finished really strong. You bring the best athletes together, they complement each other and (you have) great competition.”

The men’s pack stayed together for about 20 miles before Kipchoge, Kitwara and Chumba drew away.

Kipchoge and Kitwara were side by side with Chumba right behind after 24 miles. But Kipchoge made it look easy down the stretch. He made a quick burst and was in command as he headed toward the finish at Grant Park, grinning for the final few miles.

“To enjoy the streets of Chicago, you need to smile,” he said. “With all these people, you need that big smile.”

Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic medalist in the 5,000 meters, was competing in his fourth marathon. He ran his first one in 2013 and is getting used to the longer distance.

“To run a good marathon, (you need) good preparation and good planning,” he said. “This is the fourth one. I can say my planning with my coaches is (good). I now understand. I’m still learning the ropes, but I can say today I am now fully experienced. … I am happy to be one of the winners here.”

Jeptoo hasn’t lost a major marathon since she finished second in a sprint to Ethiopia’s Atsede Baysa in the 2012 Chicago Marathon. She smashed the course record when she repeated as Boston Marathon champion in the spring and came away with an easy victory in Chicago for the second straight year.

She made her move at around 23 miles and pulled away for her fifth major marathon victory, with no one near her at the end.

“It was not easy,” Jeptoo said. “The beginning, nobody tried to push because everybody was looking for me. … Everybody was strong so I was like ‘Let’s wait.'”

The Americans swept the wheelchair races, with Joshua George winning the men’s event and Tatyana McFadden capturing her 11th major marathon victory.

It was McFadden’s fourth straight win in Chicago and fifth in six years. If she finishes first at the New York City Marathon next month, she will complete her second “grand slam” with four majors in one season.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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