Sifan Hassan wins Chicago Marathon in second fastest time in history

London Marathon champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands is the new Chicago Marathon champion.

Running in her only second marathon race, the 30-year-old took two hours, 13 minutes and 44 seconds to smash the course record by 20 seconds to win in Chicago with the second fastest time ever in Marathon on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Hassan’s attempt at the world record proved an uphill task as she missed the world record of 2:11:53 set by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa a fortnight ago in Berlin.

Ideally, Hassan, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 10,000m and 5,000m champion, could have been the new world record holder if Assefa didn’t break it in the Berlin Marathon on September 24 this year.

Hassan's feat saw her run the second fastest time ever in a marathon and erase the previous course record by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei of 2:14:04 set in Chicago on October 13, 2019. 

Kosgei’s 2:14:04 stood as a world record until Assefa struck in the German capital. 

On Sunday, Hassan edged out defending champion Ruth Chepng'etich to second place in 2:15:37 as Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu settled third in personal best 2:17:09.

Chepng'etich and Hassan went toe-to-toe behind three pacesetters cruising past 5km and 10km in 15:42 and 31:05 respectively. 

The pair were within the world record pace by 47 seconds at 2:11:06 when they crossed the 15km mark in 46:36 before falling to 30 seconsd within the world record pace (2L11:23) at half way in 1:02:14.

The pair stayed behind the pacesetters to hit 25km in 1:18:06, five seconds inside the world record before Hassan decided to break with one pacesetter with the other staying with Chepng'etich.

Hassan built a 10-second gap between her and Chepng'etich to cruise past the 30km in 1:34:00 and while the hopes of the world record fizzled, she was within course record pace at 2:12:13.

Hassan was all alone building 31 seconds between her and Chepng'etich with seven kilometres to go before winning on debut in Chicago. 

Hassan had won the London Marathon in 2:18:33 on April 23, this year on her marathon debut, and smashing her personal best by over four minutes and 43 seconds is phenomenal. 

Select results

1.Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:13:44

2.Ruth Chepng'etich (KEN) 2:15:37

3.Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:17:09

4.Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:17:23

5.Tadu Teshome Nare (ETH) 2:20:04

6.Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 2:21:47

7.Emily Sisson (USA) 2:22:09

8.Molly Seidel (USA) 2:23:07

9.Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:23:21

10.Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:23:24