CHICAGO: Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich put on a performance for the ages as she obliterated the women’s marathon world record in Chicago on Sunday, taking nearly two minutes off the previous best to win in an unofficial time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds.

Chepngetich ditched the competition by the halfway mark and ran through a chorus of cheers through the final straight as she claimed her third title in Chicago and crushed Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s previous record of 2:11:53, set last year in Berlin.

Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede crossed the line seven minutes and 36 seconds later while Kenyan Irine Cheptai (2:17:51) was third.

“This is my dream that has come true,” said Chepngetich, whose time was originally recorded as 2:09:57 but was later adjusted.

Chepngetich set a blistering pace from the start, running the first five kilometres in 15 minutes flat and by the halfway mark she had built a 14-second cushion between herself and Kebede.

Television commentators were astonished as she grinded through the course, comparing her attempt at a sub-2:10 marathon to the moon landing, and she only seemed to gain momentum as she sprinted through the final two miles.

Chepngetich, the 2019 world champion, hunched over in utter exhaustion after breaking the tape and dedicated her performance to compatriot Kelvin Kiptum, who broke the men’s world record a year ago in Chicago and died in a car crash four months later.

“World record was in my mind,” she said in televised remarks. “Chicago, as I said in the press, is like home.”

Meanwhile on Sunday, John Korir of Kenya won the men’s title after running a personal best of 2 hours 2 minutes 44 seconds.

The 27-year-old Korir claimed his first major marathon victory, finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa (2:04:39) and another Kenyan, Amos Kipruto (2:04:50).

Korir was part of a seven-man group at the head of the course 30 kilometres in before he hit the accelerator and shed his rivals.

Four of the top five were Kenyans, with Vincent Ngetich and Daniel Ebenyo finishing off the podium.

“It was really nice to run my PB and win in Chicago,” said Korir, adding that he used Kiptum’s world record run at the same event last year as a source of motivation.

“Today I was thinking about Kiptum and I said ‘last year if he could run under 2:01, why not me?’ So I had to believe in myself and try to do my best.”

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2024