Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich Shatters Women’s Marathon World Record in Chicago

 

Kenyan runner Ruth Chepngetich delivered a historic performance at the Chicago Marathon, breaking the women’s marathon world record with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds. She took nearly two minutes off the previous record of 2:11:53, set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa last year in Berlin.

Chepngetich, 30, claimed her third Chicago title on Sunday, becoming the first woman to win the race three times. By the halfway point, she had already separated herself from the competition, finishing to loud cheers from the crowd. Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede came in second, 7 minutes and 36 seconds behind, while fellow Kenyan Irine Cheptai took third with a time of 2:17:51.

“This is a dream come true,” Chepngetich said. She dedicated her victory to Kelvin Kiptum, who set the men’s marathon world record in 2023 before tragically dying in a car accident at 24. “The world record has returned to Kenya, and I dedicate it to Kelvin Kiptum,” she added.

Before the race began, participants observed a moment of silence for Kiptum, and organizers distributed stickers with his record-breaking time of 2:00:35 for runners to wear.

With the absence of Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, Chepngetich set a blistering pace, reaching the halfway mark in 1:04:16, the fifth-fastest women’s half marathon time in history. She crossed the first 5 kilometers in 15 minutes and built a significant lead by the halfway point. Spectators were astonished by her speed, with some comparing her run to the moon landing. Chepngetich only seemed to gain momentum, sprinting through the final stretch before collapsing from exhaustion after crossing the finish line.

Meanwhile, John Korir of Kenya won the men’s race with a time of 2:02:44, the second-fastest time ever recorded in Chicago. Korir, 27, pulled away from a leading pack of seven runners at the 30-kilometer mark and finished ahead of Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa (2:04:39) and fellow Kenyan Amos Kipruto (2:04:50). Four of the top five finishers in the men’s race were Kenyan, including Vincent Ngetich and Daniel Ebenyo.

“It was a great experience to set my personal best and win in Chicago,” Korir said, adding that he drew inspiration from Kiptum’s record-breaking run last year. "I believed in myself and pushed to do my best."

Both Chepngetich and Korir's wins add to Kenya’s legacy of marathon excellence on the world stage.