Two Kenyan athletes who sought redemption after not being selected to their Olympic teams found glory on the streets of Chicago. Training partners and friends Abel Kirui and Florence Kiplagat both won their respective races at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday morning.

In a hard-fought, tactical battle over the final few miles of the men's race, Kirui and Dickson Chumba engaged in a duel for marathon glory on the streets of Chicago. In the final half mile of the marathon, it was Kirui who found the extra strength to extend a surge over Chumba and claim the title in 2:11:23.

"It was a matter of life and death," Kirui said in regard to his battle with Chumba after the victory.

#BREAKING: Abel Kirui of Kenya wins #ChicagoMarathon. Congrats! Watch him finish #chimarathon. #chicago #raceday @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/Zvf1ZaNMHl

— LAUREN VICTORY (@LaurenVictory) October 9, 2016

Kiplagat broke the women's race open at 1:44 on the clock, leaving all of her competitors behind in her quest to defend her Chicago Marathon title. With over a minute gap between herself and the remainder of the lead pack at 2:16 on the clock, Kiplagat pushed her way to the finish line and her second consecutive Chicago victory in 2:21:32. The performance is two minutes faster than last year's win and was almost two minutes ahead of runner-up Edna Kiplagat.

#BREAKING: Florence Kiplagat of Kenya wins #ChicagoMarathon for women! 2nd year in a row. Watch her cross & dance. #chimarathon @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/bqmTIPju1I

— LAUREN VICTORY (@LaurenVictory) October 9, 2016

As Florence Kiplagat expressed in her post-race interview with reporters, she remembered missing out on the opportunity to compete for her country in Rio. But she, along with Kirui, found redemption with their World Marathon Major victories in Chicago. Both runners embraced after Kiplagat crossed the finish line.

For Kirui, the Chicago win follows a disappointing fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon in February. The 2012 Olympic silver medalist was left home after Kenya announced its Olympic team of Stanley Biwott, Eliud Kipchoge, and Wesley Korir.

For Kiplagat, the victory follows a third-place finish at the London Marathon. Kiplagat was selected as an alternate for the Olympic team after Kenya announced its official team as Visiline Jepkesho, Helah Kiprop, and Jemina Sumgong.

FULL CHICAGO MARATHON RESULTS

Several marathon newcomers also had breakthrough performances. Diego Estrada completed his first marathon ever with an eighth-place finish in 2:13:56. The performance followed a fall just after the 10K mark where Estrada told reporters he stepped on a water bottle at the aid station. Despite the mishap, Estrada made the decision to continue on and take the race one mile at a time.

"I decided I was going to roll with the punches one mile at a time," Estrada said. "Now, I am officially a marathoner."

The performance followed a disappointing marathon debut at the Olympic Trials where Estrada dropped out due to the extreme heat in Los Angeles.

Former Arizona All-American Stephen Sambu, who has been racking up prize money in the shorter distances, made his marathon debut with a fifth-place finish in 2:13:35.

The top American female finisher, Serena Burla also claimed a standout performance when she finished seventh overall in 2:30:40. Fellow Americans Sarah Crouch and Alia Gray each finished ninth and 10th, respectively, rounding out three top-10 finishes for the American contingent.