Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya made history on Sunday by shattering the women's marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon, finishing in an impressive time of 2:09:56—nearly two minutes faster than the previous record.
At 30 years old, Chepngetich not only secured her victory but also became the first woman to win the Chicago race three times. Her record-breaking performance eclipsed the former mark of 2:11:53 set by Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa during the Berlin Marathon last year.
Chepngetich expressed her overwhelming joy after the race, stating, "I feel so great, I'm proud of myself. This is my dream that has come true." She reflected on her dedication to breaking the world record, noting her determination and hard work in the pursuit of this achievement.
Having previously won the Chicago Marathon in 2021 and 2022, Chepngetich dedicated her latest triumph to the late Kelvin Kiptum, who had set the men's world record at last year's race before his tragic passing in a car accident.
In a poignant tribute to Kiptum, participants observed a moment of silence at the start line, and race organizers distributed stickers displaying his record-breaking time of 2:00:35 for runners to attach to their bibs.
Chepngetich started strong, reaching the halfway point in a remarkable 1:04:16, marking one of the fastest half-marathon times ever recorded by a woman. She acknowledged the perfect weather conditions and her thorough preparation as contributing factors to her success.
In the men's race, John Korir also made headlines by winning his first major marathon title with a personal best of 2:02:43. The 27-year-old Kenyan surged ahead of a competitive field, finishing ahead of Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa and fellow Kenyan Amos Kipruto, who clocked times of 2:04:39 and 2:04:50, respectively. Korir, inspired by Kiptum's remarkable achievement from the previous year, pushed himself to believe in his potential, resulting in the second-fastest time ever recorded at the Chicago Marathon.
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