Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya poses for a photo with the time clock after finishing first in the women’s race, setting a new world record at 2:09:56 during the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park on October 13, 2024.
The 2019 world marathon champion, Ruth Chepng'etich of Kenya, has dedicated her world record to Kelvin Kiptum, the world record holder in men’s marathon, who died in a road accident along Eldoret-Eldama Ravine road on February 11, alongside his Rwandese coach Gervais Hakizimana.
At the same time, Kenya’s John Korir won the men’s race in two hours, two minutes and 43 seconds. Afterwards, Korir said Kiptum’s record-breaking run at the event last year inspired him to win this year’s race.
On Sunday, Chepngetich became the first woman to run the marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes, when she stormed into victory in Chicago Marathon in a new world record time of 2:09:56.
Ethiopia’s Sutuma Asefa Kebede came second after clocking 2:17:32, while another Kenyan, Irene Cheptai, sealed the podium places in 2:17:52. Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:20:51) and Stacy Ndiwa (2:23:42) of Kenya finished in fifth and 10th positions respectively.
The 30-year-old Chepng’etich who trains in Ngong, Kajiado County ran a brilliant race before lowering the earlier record of Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa of 2:11:53 from her victory in 2023 Berlin Marathon. Chepng’etich also lowered her personal best by more than four minutes, the earlier mark she clocked in 2022 at the same race being 2:14:18.
In the first 5km, Chepng’etich crossed the mark in 15:00 and had Ethiopia’s Kebede for company before reaching the 10km mark in a dumbfounding 30:14 with Kebede still just two seconds behind her.
The soft-spoken athlete who won the 2021 and 2022 editions before finishing second last year, ran the first half in 1:04:16 where she had already taken the lead running with the pacemaker all the way to the finish line.
Inspired by her performance in 2022 where she missed the earlier record by 14 seconds that was held by Brigid Kosgei, Chepngetich was evidently going for nothing else but a world record and she achieved the mark after the 42km.
“I feel good to have ran my personal best and clocked a world record in the marathon. It was my dream. The world record has come back to Kenya and I want to dedicate it to the late Kelvin Kiptum who also broke the world record here. Maybe he would have defended his title here,” she said in a post-race interview.
In the men’s category, Korir crossed the line in 2:02:43 which is the second fastest time in the Chicago Marathon race with Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohammed Esa clocking 2:04:39 while Amos Kipruto sealed the podium positions in 2:04:50.
Korir, the brother of the former Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir and who trains in Biribiriet in Trans Nzoia County and some parts of the Elgeyo Marakwet, surged forward in the second half and went all the way to the finish line, clocking the second fastest time in the race.
“I was thinking about Kiptum while running and that is when I said, why not me,” said Korir after the race.
Another Kenyan, Vincent Ngetich, finished fourth, clocking 2:05:15 while his compatriot Daniel Simiu who was debuting in the distance, finished fifth in 2:06:04.
