World record at the Chicago Marathon by Ruth Chepngetich

(sda) Ruth Chepngetich shattered the women’s world record at the marathon in Chicago. Tigist Assefa completed the 42.195 km in Berlin last year in 2:11:53 hours and was therefore more than two minutes faster than the previous record holder Brigid Kosgei four years earlier in Chicago.

Now Chepngetich pushed the border once again into new spheres. The 30-year-old Kenyan won in 2:09:56 hours and beat the previous record by almost two minutes.

“That was my dream and it came true. I am very grateful. I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum,” said the winner about the man who set the men’s marathon world record a year ago and died in a car accident in February. For comparison: Fabienne Schlumpf’s Swiss record is 2:24:30 hours.

Chepngetich had already won the prestigious marathon in Chicago in 2021 and 2022. Two years ago she missed the then world record of 2:14:18 by 14 hundredths of a second. This time the African woman achieved her celebrated coup, supported by modern shoe technology and pacemakers.

The time of being the world champion in Doha 2019 was unimaginable for a long time; Assefa had already caused great astonishment in Berlin a year ago. Chepngetich started the lucrative race extremely quickly, initially even setting a course for an incredible 2:06 hours.

In the men’s race, Kenyan John Korir won the top-class race. A year after Kelvin Kiptum’s world record (2:00:35), Korir crossed the finish line in 2:02.43 hours. Huseydin Mohamed Esa from Ethiopia came second, almost two minutes behind, and Korir’s compatriot Amos Kipruto came third.

Swiss wheelchair athletes successful again

The Swiss para-athletes Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner also demonstrated their class at the marathon in Chicago and repeated their victories from the previous year.

Hug, who triumphed in the Paralympic marathon for the third time in a row and the marathon for the ninth time in Berlin in September, prevailed in the sprint ahead of the stubborn American Daniel Romanchuk.

It was the 38-year-old from Thurgau’s fifth victory in the prestigious race in the US state of Illinois after 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023. Hug missed his own course record from the previous year by a good three minutes in the tactical race with a time of 1:25:54 hours.

As he did at the Paralympics in Paris and the marathon in Berlin, Debrunner was in a league of his own. The 29-year-old relegated her compatriot Manuela Schär to second place by almost three minutes and set a course record in 1:36:12 hours for her eighth victory in her ninth major-level marathon.