Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich smashed the women’s world marathon record in Chicago on Sunday, taking almost two minutes off the previous best to win the race in two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds.
Chepngetich broke Ethiopian Tigist Assefa’s previous world record of 2:11:53, set in Berlin in September 2023, as she won her third Chicago Marathon.
The Kenyan also chopped more than four minutes off her previous best of 2:14:18 – which she set during her victory in 2022. Chepngetich becomes the first three-time women’s winner of the Chicago race.
Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede finished second with a timing of 2:17:32, while Kenya’s Irine Cheptai completed the podium in third place with 2:17:52.
“I feel so great. I’m very proud of myself. This is my dream. I fought a lot, thinking about the world record,” Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes, said after the race.
The 30-year-old dedicated her triumph to Kelvin Kiptum, the men’s marathon world record-holder who died in a road accident in February at the age of 24.
Kenyan Kiptum set the men’s world record at last year’s race in Chicago and had been hoping to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours in race conditions at Rotterdam in April as well as make his Olympic debut in Paris in July.
His death sent shockwaves through the sporting world.
“The world record has come back to Kenya, and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum,” Chepngetich added.
Chicago Marathon organizers held a moment of silence for Kiptum before the race and offered the nearly 50,000 runners a memorial sticker to add to their bibs.
More delight for Kenya as Korir wins men’s race
In the men’s race, Kenya’s John Korir took the men’s title in 2:02:43, the second-fastest time recorded in Chicago after the world record of 2:00:35 set by the late Kiptum last year.
“It was really nice to run my personal best and win in Chicago,” said Korir.
“Today I was thinking about Kiptum and I said 'last year if he could run under 2:01, why not me?' So I had to believe in myself and try to do my best."
Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohamed Esa came second in 2:04:39 and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto was third in 2:04:50.
