Chris Derrick Withdraws From Chicago Marathon Following Injury in CRIM 10 Mile

By Adam Kopet

Chris Derrick sustained an ankle fracture Saturday early in the CRIM 10 Mile, according to an Instagram post.

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Recorded my first DNF today, but I think I got my money’s worth. I was running in the pack just before the mile and unfortunately could not see the ground ahead of me. I landed perfectly on the edge of a big ol’ pothole and fractured the head of my fibula. The kindly doctor who read my x-ray said that of the ankle fractures, this is the best one. So I got that going for me 🤷🏻‍♂️. ⠀ It has been an interesting year, in the way that things are “interesting” when your vocabulary fails you. I’ve had two great stretches of training felled by injury. Each time I’ve begun writing a triumphal narrative in my head, only to have the story I’ve shaped come to an abrupt and expected end. That, in my opinion, is zero fun. In times like this, before I fully submerge in self pity, I try to remember how lucky I am to even have these opportunities to lose. If a few things had gone differently; if my aerobic system wasn’t so good at transporting oxygen; if my femurs were a bit shorter; if I was never on that travel basketball team with Paul Box and his Mom hadn’t convinced my parents Cross Country would be good for me, I wouldn’t have had all the successes and joy I’ve been lucky to have. I think like most people, I tend to see my achievements as a product of some inherent virtue and my setbacks as a sign of some great cosmic unfairness. But all of it, the triumphs and the failures, it’s all contingent in its way. Like William Munny said, deserve’s got nothing to do with it.

A post shared by Chris Derrick (@cderrickrun) on Aug 24, 2019 at 8:12am PDT

Derrick sustained an avulsion fracture of his lower fibula after stepping in a pot hole and falling near the first mile mark of the 10-mile race in Flint. He stopped and limped back to the start line for treatment. The injury, which has a six- to eight-week recovery period, has forced Derrick to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon, scheduled for Oct. 13.

This marks the second time this year Derrick has missed a planned marathon. He withdrew from April's London Marathon in the weeks leading up to the race.

Derrick's transition to the marathon has been a rocky one. To date, he has completed two marathons. He finished ninth at the 2017 Chicago Marathon, running 2:12:50, and 10th at the 2018 New York City Marathon where he ran 2:13:08.

Now it appears Derrick's third marathon will likely be the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on Feb. 29 in Atlanta.