A result for history. Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich shattered the women’s marathon world record by almost two minutes on Sunday, winning in Chicago in 2 h 09 min 57 sec. The old record was held by the Ethiopian Tigist Assefa, who completed the 42.195 km in 2 h 11 min 53 sec on September 24, 2023 in Berlin.
“The weather was perfect, as was my preparation”
Among the men, his compatriot John Korir won, detached, in 2h 2 min 43 sec, succeeding world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who died in February at the age of 23 in a road accident.
“I dedicate this record to Kelvin (Kiptum), he also broke a world record here and he could have broken one again,” said Chepngetich after the finish. “I am very proud of myself. I had this world record in mind, it was my dream, and today everything was perfect: the weather, and my preparation. »
Chepngetich, aged 30, achieved an extraordinary feat, running the entire race at a pace never before approached by women. At the 10th km, she was on the basis of 2h07:30, before slowing down her pace very slightly, however, to become the first woman in history to go below the symbolic bar of 2h10. His personal best for the distance was 2:14:18.
