Ruth Chepng’etich has dedicated her Chicago Marathon world record to the late Kelvin Kiptum.

In the race run on Sunday, October 13, Ruth Chepng’etich took almost two minutes off the world record, winning the road race in 2:09:56. In her post-match interview, she said the record is dedicated to Kiptum, himself a world record holder before he died in February this year.

“I feel so great. I’m very proud of myself. This is my dream. I fought a lot, thinking about the world record. The world record has come back to Kenya, and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum,” Chepng’etich said as per World Athletics.

Record-breaking run

The Kenyan managed to obliterate Tigist Assefa’s world record of 2:11:53, set in Berlin in 2023. Chepng’etich also notched up her third Chicago Marathon victory and chopped more than four minutes off her previous best of 2:14:18, set when winning here in 2022.

Chepng’etich passed through the first 5km in 15:00 and had Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede for company, and then reached 10km in an astonishing 30:14 with Kebede still just two seconds behind.

She continued her relentless pace and hit the halfway mark in an incredible 1:04:16. Notably, this is the fifth-fastest clocking in history for the half marathon distance, and this put her on course for a sub-2:09 finish. 

The gap between Chepng’etich and Kebede continued to grow throughout the second half, according to World Athletics. The pace of both women dropped, Kebede’s more so than Chepngetich’s, and by 30km (1:31:49), the Kenyan had a lead of almost two minutes over her Ethiopian rival.

Chepngetich’s next 10km was covered in 31:22, which was her slowest of the race so far but still remarkably quick and enough to increase her leading margin to more than six minutes. With little more than two kilometres left to run, she was still well inside the world record pace, the likelihood of breaking it increasing with every step.

Chepng’etich’s record is subject to the usual ratification procedure by World Athletics.