Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich Breaks Marathon World Record at Chicago Marathon

Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich shattered the world marathon record with a stunning performance at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. The 30-year-old crossed the finish line in a remarkable time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 57 seconds, surpassing Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s previous record by nearly two minutes.

Chepngetich became the first woman in history to complete a marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes. The previous record, set by Assefa at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, stood at 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds.

“I feel so great, I’m proud of myself. This is a dream come true,” said Chepngetich, who also claimed the world marathon title in 2019. “I’ve fought hard, always thinking about the world record, and now I’ve fulfilled it.”

The victory marks Chepngetich’s third triumph in Chicago. Last year, she narrowly missed breaking Brigid Kosgei’s then-world record by just 14 seconds. Over the last six years, four of the five fastest women’s marathon times have been set on the flat Chicago course.

John Korir Wins Men’s Race, Honors Late Kelvin Kiptum

In the men’s race, Kenya’s John Korir ran a personal best, winning the marathon in 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 44 seconds. Korir broke away from a pack of seven leaders to secure the victory, later dedicating his win to his late compatriot, world record holder Kelvin Kiptum.

Kiptum set the current world record of 2 hours, 35 seconds in Chicago before tragically passing away four months later in a car accident at the age of 24. Korir acknowledged that Kiptum’s record-breaking run was his source of inspiration during the race.

“It was really nice to run my personal best and win in Chicago,” said Korir. “Today, I thought about Kiptum and told myself, ‘If he could run under 2:01 last year, why not me?’ That belief pushed me to give my best.”

Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa finished second, while Kenya’s Amos Kipruto secured third place, with four Kenyans finishing in the top five.