Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich shattered the women’s marathon world record on Sunday in Chicago, finishing the race in 2:09:56. She is the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier.
Chepngetich’s time beat the previous record of 2:11:53, set by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa in September 2023, and marked her third victory in Chicago.
Her record is pending ratification by World Athletics.
“I feel so great. I’m very proud of myself. This is my dream,” Chepngetich said after the race. “I fought a lot, thinking about the world record. The world record has come back to Kenya, and I dedicate this record to Kelvin Kiptum,” she added, referring to her fellow Kenyan who set the men’s world record in Chicago last year and tragically died in a road accident in February.
After the race, Chepngetich celebrated by posing for photos, waving the Kenyan flag, and running back down the finishing straight to soak in the crowd’s applause.
Chepngetich had narrowly missed the world record by just 14 seconds in 2022 but redeemed herself with a time this year that only nine men outpaced in the same race.
By the 10-kilometer mark, Chepngetich had established a significant lead, with only Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede able to keep pace. Kebede finished second with a time of 2:17:32, nearly eight minutes behind Chepngetich. Kenya’s Irine Cheptai completed the podium in third, finishing another 20 seconds back.
In the men’s race, Kenya’s John Koriri claimed victory with a time of 2:02:43, marking the second-fastest time ever recorded in Chicago, following Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35 set last year. Ethiopia’s Huseydin Mohamed Esa finished second, just over two minutes behind Koriri, while Kenya’s Amos Kipruto took third with a time of 2:04:50.
In the wheelchair races, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug defended his title, finishing in 1:25:54 after a dramatic sprint finish, while his compatriot Catherine Debrunner set a new course record of 1:36:21 in the women’s race.
