Ruth Chepngetich, a Kenyan marathon runner, broke the world record for women’s marathon running on Sunday at the Chicago Marathon, finishing in an incredible time of 2:09:56. Chepngetich became the first woman to ever finish the 26.2-mile course in less than two hours and ten minutes, breaking the previous record by almost two minutes. Only nine male racers finished ahead of the 30-year-old, who finished 10th overall in a contest that men dominated.
Chepngetich’s win was particularly meaningful because she finished just 14 seconds and narrowly missed the world record in the 2022 Chicago Marathon. She remarked, “I feel so great. I’m rather pleased with myself. My dream is this. Thinking about the world record, I fought a lot. Kenya now holds the global record” after reflecting on her accomplishment.
Chepngetich dedicated her historic accomplishment to another Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum, a self-taught marathon runner who died in a terrible car accident earlier this year. Chepngetich was greatly influenced by Kiptum, who established a world mark of 2:00:35 in Chicago last year. With a timing of 2:02:43, the second-fastest marathon ever recorded in Chicago, Kenyan John Korir won the men’s division.
