Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich set a new women’s marathon world record on Sunday at the Chicago Marathon, crossing the finish line in a remarkable 2:09:56, nearly two minutes faster than the previous record. The 30-year-old athlete became the first woman ever to complete a marathon in under two hours and ten minutes.
Chepngetich’s historic performance surpassed the previous world record of 2:11:53, set just weeks earlier by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Sunday’s victory also marked Chepngetich’s third Chicago Marathon win, having taken first place in 2021 and 2022. Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede secured second place in this year’s race, finishing with a time of 2:17:32.
Speaking to NBC Chicago after the race, Chepngetich expressed her pride and excitement over the record-breaking run. “I feel so great. I’m proud of myself and I thank God for the victory and the world record,” she said. “This is my dream that has come true. I fought hard thinking about the world record, and I’ve fulfilled it. I’m so grateful.”
From the start, it was clear that Chepngetich was on track for an extraordinary race. She covered the first five kilometers in just 15 minutes and reached the halfway point in 1:04:16, a time that alone would place her among the top five fastest women’s half-marathons ever recorded. Her average pace throughout the race was an impressive 4:57.4 per mile.
In addition to earning the $100,000 first-place prize, Chepngetich received a bonus of $50,000 for breaking the Chicago Marathon course record.
In the men’s race, John Korir, also from Kenya, triumphed with a time of 2:02:44. He was followed by Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohamed Esa, who finished in 2:04:39. Both Kenyan athletes dedicated their victories to the late Kelvin Kiptum, who set the men’s world marathon record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon before tragically passing away in February.
“The world record has come back to Kenya,” Chepngetich said after her race, dedicating her achievement to Kiptum.
Kiptum, 24, and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, were killed in a car accident earlier this year when Kiptum’s vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree near a training site in Kaptagat, Kenya. To honor his memory, race organizers held a moment of silence before the marathon began and distributed memorial stickers for the nearly 50,000 runners to wear on their bibs.
Chepngetich’s world record cements her status as one of the all-time greats in women’s marathon running, further raising the bar for what is possible in the sport.
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