Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum set a new record for the men’s marathon in Chicago, completing the race in just two hours and 35 seconds, surpassing the previous record set by fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge by a significant 30 seconds.
Earlier this year, Kiptum made headlines by setting the course record at the London Marathon. His performance in Chicago was remarkable, gaining speed after the 35-kilometre point and raising his arms in triumph, cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd as he approached the finish line.
While the world record wasn’t his initial goal, Kiptum realized in the last leg of the race that Kipchoge’s former record of 2:01:09 was attainable. Overwhelmed with emotion, he admitted, “I did not expect this. I didn’t have the world record on my radar today.”
He finished a substantial three minutes and 27 seconds ahead of Benson Kipruto, another Kenyan runner. The third position was claimed by Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, completing the marathon in 2:04:32.
From the beginning, Kiptum and fellow runner Daniel Mateiko set a formidable pace, establishing a sizeable lead by the race’s halfway point. Despite this being only his third marathon, Kiptum’s prowess was evident. “Seeing the time, I thought, ‘Perhaps I can even finish under 2:00’,” he reflected. “I always believed I had the potential for a world record.”
After crossing the finish line with energy left to spare, he celebrated his achievement with race director Carey Pinkowski.
The women’s race also witnessed an exceptional performance by Dutch runner Sifan Hassan, who finished in 2:13:44, making it the second-quickest women’s marathon time in history. She successfully ended Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich’s streak of Chicago titles, finishing almost two minutes ahead of her.
Ethiopia’s Alemu Megertu secured the third position in the women’s race at 2:17:09.
