"I never feel any pressure in Chicago and I have so many friends here. I have had no injuries, which was totally different to last year, and I am very much hoping to be in the fight," he added.

Since he was a young boy growing up in Nandi County in the North Rift of Kenya, the USA has always held a fascination for Kirui - one of more idiosyncratic and charismatic members of the NN Running Team.

Making his marathon debut some 12 years ago in Berlin - when he placed ninth in 2:17:47 - the gregarious athlete has since chiselled out an outstanding career over the 42.2km distance.

Claiming second in the 2007 Berlin Marathon and a winner of the 2008 Vienna Marathon he quickly established a proud marathon reputation.

Yet his breakthrough performance came at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin when he destroyed the field to win in a championship record 2:06:54 and marked the moment by breaking into his trademark celebratory post-race jig of joy.

In 2010 he traveled to the New York City Marathon to make his competitive debut in the US but the tall, slender Kenyan had to settle for a distant eighth - almost five minutes down on race winner Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia.

More success followed for Kirui. In 2011 he retained his world marathon title in Daegu by a record victory margin of 2:28 from compatriot and NN Running Team colleague Vincent Kipruto.

In 2017 Kirui added the Olympic silver medal to his collection behind the NN Running Team's Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda but the stone in his shoe was his lack of success and profile in the US - in 2016 he set about rectifying this fact.

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