She averaged 3:05 per kilometre and held on after a blistering start to shatter the record.
Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya won the Chicago Marathon in a stunning time of 2:09:56, a world record. She broke the previous record, 2:11:53, run by Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia at the Berlin Marathon in 2023, by 1:56.
In running sub-2:10, Chepngetich broke a barrier many thought would never be broken. She averaged 3:05 per kilometre.
“It is my dream,” she said after the race, of setting the world record.
Sutume Kebede of Ethiopia was second, more than 7 minutes behind Chepngetich, in 2:17:32. Irine Cheptai of Kenya finished third in 2:17:51.
Chepngetich, 30, went out at breakneck pace, running 15:00 for the first 5K, on pace for a 2:07 marathon. The first time the television cameras caught up with her after the start, she was running in a group with the lead American men, Zach Panning and CJ Albertson.
At halfway, her split of 1:04:16 would have put her fifth on the all-time list of half marathon performances. It was just a matter of whether Chepngetich could hold on over the second half.
She did say that when she saw her splits she was a little worried about keeping up the pace.
By 30K, Chepngetich was nearly 2 minutes ahead of her closest competition, Kebede. Irine Cheptai of Kenya was back in third, 5:20 behind Chepngetich. (Kedebe was nearly overtaken by Cheptai in the final kilometres.)
Among Chepngetich’s many mind-boggling splits: She first recorded a kilometre slower than 3:06 at kilometre 30, when she ran 3:11. She followed that up with a 3:08 for kilometre 32.
She takes home $100,000 for the win, a $50,000 bonus for setting the course record, and surely a significant contractual bonus from her sponsor, Nike.
She won the Chicago Marathon in 2021 and 2022, and she finished second in 2023. It was 2022 when Chepngetich ran her previous personal best, 2:14:18. Before today, that time ranked her fourth all-time among women’s marathoners.
Now she is first.
Her competitors, including American Betsy Saina, who lives in Kenya, said they were in disbelief and happy for her. “I used to think 2:13 was crazy,” Saina said. “But 2:09? I don’t know what to think anymore.”
Albertson, who was the top American man at Chicago today, said the first 10K of the race was chaotic. He was surprised to see Chepngetich among the men and apparently not even straining.
“I looked over, and I was like, I know we’re running under 2:07 pace, but she looks great,” Albertson said.
Race director Carey Pinkowski said the conditions were ideal for fast times: Temperatures were in the high 10s at the start, there was little wind, and skies were overcast.
The Chicago Marathon is now the site of the existing men’s and women’s marathon world records. Kelvin Kiptum set the men’s mark, 2:00:35, in Chicago in 2023. Kiptum died in February in a car accident in Kenya, at the age of 24. The race paid tribute to him with a moment of silence before the start.
