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≡ CHICAGO MARATHON ≡
For years, the Berlin Marathon was where world records were set, with eight in a row in the men’s division from 2003 to 2022. But now it’s the Chicago Marathon’s turn.
After a 2:14:04 women’s world mark for Brigid Kosgei (KEN) in 2019, fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum ran 2:00:35 to set the men’s world record in 2023, only to be killed in a car accident in February of this year.
On Sunday, it was Kenyan women’s star – and two-time Chicago winner from 2021 and 2022 – Ruth Chepngetich, the 2019 World Champion, who decided to race after Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s 2:11:53 women’s world record from 2023 in Berlin.
She destroyed it, making history by being the first woman to run under 2:10, winning in a fabulous, almost incomprehensible 2:09:56. She blasted off from the start, running under cloudy skies with perfect temperatures in the low 60s, opening a nine-second lead on the field at the 5 km mark, with only Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede (a 2:15:55 performer) close.
By 10 km, Chepngetich had two seconds on Kebede and 53 seconds on the rest of the field. She was up by eight seconds at 20 km, and 14 seconds at the half in 1:04:16, with Kebede at 1:04:30.
How fast is 1:04:16? It’s the world leader for 2024, 13 seconds faster than Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) and her 1:04:29 win in Barcelona back on 11 February! Jepkosgei was running third (1:07:30), well behind Kebede, whose 1:04:30 is no. 3 in 2024!
Chepngetich kept pouring it on, leading by 1:57 at 30 km and 6:13 (!!!) at 40 km. She got home in 2:09:56, a time that would have won all but two Olympic marathons through 2004 and would have been the men’s world record through 2 December 1967. Splits:
● 10 km: 30:14
● 20 km: 30:37 (1:00:51)
● 30 km: 30:58 (1:31:49)
● 40 km: 31:22 (2:03:11)
She covered the final 2.2 km in 6:45 and the final half of the race in 1:05:41 after the first half in 1:04:16. Astonishing, marvelous, almost indescribable, and most certainly historic.
Chepngetich, 30, crushed Assefa’s world mark by a ridiculous 1:57, and consider this improvement in the women’s marathon: the record was 2:15:25 from 2003 to 2019 and in five years, has been lowered by 5:28!
Is it the shoes? Better training? Baking soda? Perfect conditions? Maybe all of the above, but this is sensational.
Chepngetich was not the only finisher in the race. Kebede held on for second in 2:17:32, Kenyan Irine Cheptai passed Jepkosgei by 30 km and was third in 2:17:51. Ethiopia’s Buze Kejela also passed Jepkosgei and finished fourth in 2:20:22 and Jepkosgei was fifth in 2:20:51.
Susanna Sullivan was the top American finisher in seventh in 2:21:56 (no. 10 all-time U.S.), and Lindsay Flanagan was ninth in 2:23:31.
What about the men’s race? Kenya’s John Korir, third in this race in 2022 and fourth in 2023, was nominally in front of a pack of 10 at the halfway mark in 1:02:19, was still in front of a lead pack of seven at 30 km, but then surged away from the field by 35 km, leading by 29 seconds.
He was 1:32 up by 40 km and cruised home in a lifetime best of 2:02:44, moving to no. 2 on the 2024 world list, and his second win in 10 career marathons. He’s now no. 6 all-time.
Ethiopian Huseydin Esa was a distant second in 2:04:39, no. 15 on the 2024 world list, followed by Kenyan Amos Kipruto (2:04:50), Vincent Ngetich (KEN: 2:05:16) and Daniel Ebenyo (KEN: 2:06:04).
CJ Albertson was the top American, in seven at 2:08:17, a lifetime best by almost two minutes! Zach Panning was ninth in 2:09:16.
Korir and Chepngetich both win $100,000 for first place and Chepngetich won another $50,000 for breaking the course record. Places 2-5 won $75,000-50,000-30,000-25,000 in both genders.
Chepngetich set the seventh world record at the Chicago Marathon, with three for men and four for women. In her 15th career marathon, she won for the ninth time, the third time in Chicago and has been in the top three in 12 of her 15 races.
But she will now always be remembered as the woman who broke 2:10. Awesome.
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