Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich made headlines at the Chicago Marathon by breaking the world record by nearly two minutes.
Finishing the race in an astonishing 2:09:56, Chepngetich surpassed the previous world record set by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who clocked in at 2:11:53 during the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede secured second place at the Chicago race, completing the marathon in 2:17:32.
With this victory, Chepngetich became the first woman ever to run a marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes. This marked her third Chicago Marathon win, having previously triumphed in both 2021 and 2022.
Despite finishing second in last year’s edition of the race, she returned with an even stronger performance, cementing her legacy in the marathon world.
In the men’s race, John Korir from Kenya emerged victorious, finishing in 2:02:44. He beat Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohamed Esa, who completed the marathon in 2:04:39.
Both Korir and Chepngetich dedicated their performances to the late Kelvin Kiptum, a fellow Kenyan marathoner who had set the world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon by finishing in 2:00:35, breaking the previous record by 34 seconds.
Tragically, Kiptum, aged 24, and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, died in a car accident four months after the record-breaking event when their vehicle crashed into a tree near a training area in Kaptagat, Kenya.
In Kiptum’s honor, race organizers held a moment of silence prior to the start of the marathon. The nearly 50,000 participants were also given memorial stickers to attach to their bibs, commemorating his life and achievements. The marathon, spanning 26.2 miles, began and ended in Chicago’s Grant Park, offering a poignant tribute to the late athlete.
