Christopher Chipsiya didn't need to reach for a winter coat after crossing the finish line of the 42nd Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon on Sunday morning.

The weather, at about 50 degrees with little wind or humidity, was just right for the Kenyan.

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He crossed the border into Canada and back in just 2 hours, 18 minutes and 59 seconds, winning the men's full race for the second consecutive year. He bested his 2018 time by exactly 60 seconds.

Chipsiya was the runner-up here in both 2016 and 2017, and he blamed not winning those on the heat and humidity. But during last year's win, it was so frigid that he didn't know if he'd return to Detroit to defend his title.

Now the 45-year-old professional marathoner is happy he made it back.

"The weather was perfect," he said. "Everything was perfect.

"I like this course so much, very much. It's a very nice course. It's a good marathon for me. I enjoy it because it's like running a marathon in two countries, in Canada and the U.S. It's fun."

Chipsiya said he hung with the race's pacers when the marathon kicked off just after 7 a.m. By the halfway point, he broke away from the pack and decided to test his stamina.

He started fast with a 5-minute, 9-second a mile pace. By the time he came down the final stretch, his pace dropped to only 5:19 per mile. He was focused on keeping a consistent pace.

Women's winner:Joan Massah wins women's full race

"After 5 miles to go, I started to say, 'Let me push,' to see what my body can reach," he said.

Chipsiya's best marathon finish came in 2014 when he completed a Duluth, Minnesota, race in only 2:11:57.

He said he's going to celebrate the win by sightseeing and having dinner in the city. On Monday, he's back to training with his fellow Kenyans at their camp in Zacatecas, Mexico.

Asked if he was planning on returning to chase the three-peat, he said he wants to come back, but he's not going to commit just yet.

He wants to know what the weather will be like before he signs up again.

Spring Arbor's Bryan Burk placed second with a time of 2:30:30; Adrian's Samuel Skeels was third in 2:30:53.

A pair of past Detroit marathon winners also competed, both of whom are from Brighton.

Michael Andersen, 32, finished in 2:36:46, taking ninth place overall. He won the 2014 Detroit marathon with a time of 2:24:54.

Jordan Desilets, 38, ran the international half-marathon in 1:12:43 to finish in 13th place. He won the 2010 event with a time of 2:28:30.