Ruth Chepngetich made history by breaking the women’s marathon world record in the Chicago Marathon, finishing with a time of 2:09:56. She dedicated her record-breaking performance to Kelvin Kiptum, who had set the men’s world record in the previous year’s race before tragically passing away in a car accident. Chepngetich dominated the race, leaving her competitors behind by the halfway mark and crossing the finish line as the first three-time women’s winner of the Chicago Marathon.
The 30-year-old Kenyan runner shattered the previous world record of 2:11:53 set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in Berlin the year before. Chepngetich’s impressive victory was completed as she ran through cheers from the crowd, clinching her third title in Chicago. Despite facing strong competition, she maintained a strong pace and left her competitors far behind. She expressed her joy at achieving her dream and fulfilling her goal of breaking the world record.
Chepngetich’s dominance in the race was evident as she established a commanding lead and finished over seven minutes ahead of Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede, who came in second. Kenya’s Irine Cheptai secured the third spot with a time of 2:17:51. The Kenyan runner also paid tribute to Kelvin Kiptum, expressing her dedication of the world record to him and his memory. She expressed her gratitude and spoke of the hard work and determination that went into achieving this milestone.
Runners paid respects to Kiptum by observing a moment of silence at the start line and wearing stickers displaying his record-breaking time during the race. With Olympic champion Sifan Hassan absent, Chepngetich set an early pace and maintained it throughout the race. She reached the halfway mark with the fifth-quickest time in history for a half marathon by a woman. The perfect weather conditions and her preparation led to her successful record-breaking performance.
John Korir made his mark on the men’s side, winning with a time of 2:02:44 in the Chicago Marathon. Korir led a group of seven runners before pushing ahead and breaking away from his competitors. His time was the second-fastest ever run in the Chicago Marathon. Korir’s victory was also inspired by the memory of Kelvin Kiptum, whom he used as motivation to believe in himself and strive for his best performance. His win added to the success of Kenyan runners in the marathon.
Korir’s fellow Kenyan runners, Vincent Ngetich and Daniel Ebenyo, also performed well, finishing in the top five. The overall strong showing by Kenyan runners at the Chicago Marathon highlighted their dominance in long-distance running. Chepngetich and Korir both utilized the memory of Kelvin Kiptum to fuel their performances and achieve exceptional results. The Chicago Marathon showcased incredible performances from both Chepngetich and Korir, solidifying their places as champions in the world of marathon running.
