Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya shattered the women’s marathon world record in Chicago’s annual 26.2-mile event, finishing in 2:09:56. She broke the previous record of 2:11:53, set by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa at the Berlin Marathon in 2023, by nearly two minutes. Chepngetich, 30, became the first woman to complete a marathon in under 2:10.
“I feel so great. I’m very proud of myself,” Chepngetich shared. “This is my dream. I fought a lot, thinking about the world record.”
Chepngetich’s win marked her third Chicago Marathon victory, following titles in 2021 and 2022. Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede finished second with a time of 2:17:32.
John Korir of Kenya took the men’s title, clocking in at 2:02:44. He bested Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohamed Esa, who crossed the finish line at 2:04:39.
Both Chepngetich and Korir dedicated their victories to Kelvin Kiptum, the Kenyan runner who broke the men’s world record at last year’s Chicago Marathon but tragically died in a car accident in February. Chepngetich said, “The world record has come back to Kenya. I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum.”
The race, which started and finished in Grant Park, held a moment of silence for Kiptum, with memorial stickers offered to the nearly 50,000 runners participating in his honor.
Source: ESPN