Ruth Chepng'etich sets new world marathon record as Korir wins at Chicago marathon

The 2024 Chicago Marathon saw another world record star being born. Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepng’etich entered the race as among the favorites and true to her elite ranking, she smashed the world marathon record to 2 hours nine minutes and 57 seconds.

She entered into the books of history as the first woman to break the 2:10:00 barrier.She eclipsed the previous record of 2 hours 11 minutes and fifty-three seconds set by Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia in Berlin last September.

 Chepngetich’s world record came a year after the late Kelvin Kiptum broke the men’s marathon world record in Chicago winning Chicago Marathon for the third time after previous victories in 2021 and 2022.

 The sub two-ten barrier was long considered unbreakable for a woman, and was compared to the sub two-hour mark for elite men’s marathon runners.

 The women’s race featured nine athletes who had dipped under 2 hours and 20 minutes but the race was a clash between Chepngetich, her Kenyan compatriot Irene Cheptai and Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede.

At the gun, it was clear that experience will play in this race and the 5-kilometer mark, Chepng’etich crossed in 15 minutes putting her projected finish at an insane 2 hours 6 minutes however the 15-kilometer mark of 45 point two two minutes lowered her projected finish to 2 hours 8 minutes and 4 seconds. Sutume Kebede remained her closest challenger, with the Ethiopian clocking 45 point 39 minutes at the same mark.

 Chepng’etich extended her dominance by smashing the world record at 20 kilometers previously held by Jocylline Jepkosgei, who was also in the race. She widened the gap at the 25-kilometer mark leaving Kebede behind by 50 seconds. She slowed a little bit at the 30-kilometer mark but remained well within the pace of a sub two ten race. The 30-year-old had to dig deep to finish below two hours ten minutes to shave more than a minute of Tigist Assefa's former world record of 2 hours 11 minutes and 53 seconds.

Kebede settled second in 2 hours 17 minutes and 37 seconds while Irene Cheptai of Kenya finished third in two hours 17 minutes and 52 seconds.

  Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion, won in Chicago in 2021 and 2022, and followed that with a runner-up finish to Sifan Hassan last year.

She has now made history by securing the win for the third time and going below the elusive 2-hour tens minutes in women’s marathon.

In the men category, John Korir of Kenya secured the win in 2:02:43.Korir, the younger brother of 2012 Boston Marathon winner Wesley Korir, was third in Chicago in 2022, fourth in Chicago in 2023 and fourth in Boston this past April. He also won the Los Angeles Marathon in 2021 and 2022.

 

Ethiopia’s  Mohamed Esa came second in 2:04:39 and fellow Kenyan Amos Kipruto clocked 2:04:50 in third.