Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich made history in Chicago on Sunday by breaking the women’s marathon world record with a stunning time of 2:09:56. She became the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours and 10 minutes. With this she broke the previous record of 2:11:53, held by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, set just last month.
Chepngetich’s victory also marked her third triumph in Chicago, solidifying her dominance in the event. She expressed her immense pride and joy after the race. “I’m so happy. This was my dream,” she shared, according to World Athletics. After crossing the finish line, Chepngetich celebrated by holding the Kenyan flag and interacting with cheering fans, reveling in the moment. This victory was even more meaningful, as she had narrowly missed the world record by 14 seconds in 2022, but this time, she left no room for doubt. Her pace was so fast that only nine men in the race finished ahead of her.
By the 10-kilometer mark, Chepngetich had already distanced herself from the competition, with only Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede managing to keep up. Kebede ultimately finished second, clocking in at 2:17:32, almost eight minutes behind Chepngetich. Kenya’s Irine Cheptai secured third place, finishing 20 seconds later.
In the men’s marathon, Kenya’s John Koriri claimed victory with a time of 2:02:43, the second-fastest ever in Chicago, following Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35 from last year.
In the wheelchair division, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug retained his men’s title after a thrilling sprint finish, clocking 1:25:54. Meanwhile, his compatriot Catherine Debrunner set a new course record in the women’s race with a dominant time of 1:36:21.
Ruth’s record-breaking run is yet another milestone for Kenya, continuing the country’s rich legacy in marathon running.
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