Ruth Chepngetich broke the women’s world record by almost 2 minutes at the Chicago Marathon

On October 14, 2024By Yukito

Kenyan runner Ruth Chepngetich broke the women’s marathon world record with plenty of time on her hands.

On Sunday, she ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:09:56, beating the previous world record by almost 2 minutes.

The 30-year-old is the first woman to run the 26.2-mile distance in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Overall, Chepngetich finished 10th, with only nine competitors running faster.

It was a happier ending than her finish in the 2022 Chicago race, when she missed the women’s world record by just 14 seconds.

“I feel great,” Chepngetich said after the race. “I’m very proud of myself. This is my dream. I fought a lot thinking about the world record. The world record is back in Kenya.”

She dedicated her feat to Kelvin Kiptum, a Kenyan marathon runner who died in a car accident at the age of 24 earlier this year. He pushed the boundaries of long-distance running and set his marathon world record of 2:00:35. in Chicago last year is still relevant.

Fellow Kenyan John Korir, 27, won the men’s race on Sunday with a time of 2:02:43, the second-fastest time in the history of the Chicago race, just behind Kiptum’s record.