Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum etched his name into the annals of marathon history in Chicago on Sunday, obliterating the men’s marathon world record with a stunning time of 2 hours and 35 seconds. This incredible feat saw him surpass the previous record held by compatriot Eliud Kipchoge by over 30 seconds.
Kiptum’s journey to this moment had been marked by remarkable achievements, having earlier shattered the course record at the London Marathon earlier in the year. Yet, his sights were not initially set on the world record when he took to the Windy City’s marathon course. However, as he surged past the 35-kilometer mark, he could feel the possibility of eclipsing Kipchoge’s previous mark of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds drawing near. In a display of extraordinary determination, Kiptum dug deep and etched his name in the annals of history.
“I feel so happy. I wasn’t prepared,” exclaimed Kiptum at the finish line. “A world record was not in my mind today.”
Kiptum crossed the finish line a staggering 3 minutes and 27 seconds ahead of his compatriot, Benson Kipruto, while Belgian runner Bashir Abdi secured the third position with a time of 2 hours and 4 minutes.
Kiptum’s dominance became evident early in the race, as he and fellow Kenyan Daniel Mateiko broke away from the rest of the pack by the 10-kilometer mark. By the halfway point, they had surged ahead by over 1½ minutes, turning the marathon into a two-person contest.
At the 35-kilometer mark, Kiptum decided to seize the opportunity provided by Chicago’s famously flat course. With a display of extraordinary speed and stamina, he made the race his own.
“I saw the time in front of me. I said let me try; maybe I can run under 2:00,” he explained. “I knew one day I would be a world-record holder.”
Kiptum’s exuberant finish seemed to suggest he had plenty of energy to spare, as he leaped into an embrace with race director Carey Pinkowski.
The women’s marathon also witnessed an outstanding performance by Dutch middle-distance runner Sifan Hassan. She thwarted Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich’s quest for a third consecutive Chicago title by completing the race in a remarkable 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 44 seconds – the second-fastest women’s marathon time ever recorded.
Hassan had previously secured medals at the World Athletics Championships in August, and her Chicago triumph was marked by a finish 1 minute and 53 seconds ahead of Chepngetich. Ethiopian athlete Alemu Megertu clinched the third position with a time of 2 hours and 17 minutes.
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