Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich breaks women’s world record at Chicago Marathon | Athletics News | The Round Table Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich has put on a performance for the ages as she obliterated the women’s marathon world record in Chicago, taking nearly two minutes off the previous best to gain in two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds.
Chepngetich ditched the competition by the halfway mark and raced through a chorus of advocates through the final straight as she claimed her third title in Chicago on Sunday.
The 30-year-old, who became the first three-time women’s winner of the Chicago race, broke the most recent world record of 2:11:53 set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa latest year in Berlin.
Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede crossed the line seven minutes and 36 seconds later while Kenyan Irine Cheptai (2:17:51) was third.
“This is my dream that has come true,” Chepngetich said.
Chepngetich, who also acquired in Chicago in 2021 and 2022, dedicated her latest victory to Kelvin Kiptum, who set the men’s world record at last year’s dash unbiased four months before he died in a car accident at the age of 24.
“The world record has come champion to Kenya, and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum,” Chepngetich said.
“I’ve fought a lot, ideating about the world record and I have fulfilled it.”
Runners complied a moment’s silence on the start line in honour of Kiptum. Organisers also handed out stickers displaying Kiptum’s record-breaking time of 2:00:35 for the 50,000 participants to put on their run bibs.
In the absence of Olympic support Sifan Hassan, the 2023 Chicago winner, Chepngetich set a blazing early betterment and reached the halfway point in 1:04:16, the fifth-quickest time in history for a half marathon by a woman.
“The weather was perfect and I was well-prepared. The world record was in my mind,” Chepngetich, who was runner-up to Hassan 12 months ago, informed reporters after the race.
Chepngetich raced the first 5km (3.1 miles) in 15 minutes flat and by the halfway mark she had built a 14-second cushion between herself and Kebede.
Television commentators were astonished as she ground through the course, comparing her attempt at a sub-2:10 marathon to the moon landing, and she only seemed to win momentum as she ran through the final 2 miles (3.2km).
Chepngetich, the 2019 world champion, hunched over in talk exhaustion after breaking the tape but later announced “Chicago is like home”.
Her compatriot John Korir triumphed on the men’s side in 2:02:44.
The 27-year-old Korir finished ahead of Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa (2:04:39) and another Kenyan, Amos Kipruto (2:04:50).
Korir was part of a seven-man group at the head of the lofty 30km (18.6 miles) before he hit the accelerator and shed his rivals consequent a relatively conservative start.
Four of the peak five were Kenyans, with Vincent Ngetich and Daniel Ebenyo finishing off the podium.
“It was really nice to sprint my PB and prevail in Chicago,” Korir said, adding that he too used the memory of Kiptum as a source of motivation.
“Today I was imagining about Kiptum and I said, ‘Last year if he could race under 2:01, why not me?’ So I had to believe in myself and try to do my best.”
Korir’s time was the second-fastest-ever sprint in Chicago.
Regards to Al Jazeera
Category: World-News
Tag: Kenyas Ruth Chepngetich breaks womens world record at Chicago Marathon Athletics News The Round Table
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Published 10/14/2024