- Kelvin Kiptum set a world record in the Chicago Marathon at 2 hours, 35 minutes
- He shattered fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s old mark by 34 seconds
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Kelvin Kiptum set a world record in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 35 seconds to smash fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s old mark by 34 seconds.
“I feel so lucky,” Kiptum said afterward. ‘I wasn’t prepared. I knew I was coming for a course record but luckily a world record.
A world record was not on my mind today. I knew that one day I would be a world record holder.’
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands also took advantage of cool and overcast weather considered ideal for a marathon to win the women’s race in 2:13:44 – the second-fastest ever for a woman over the 26.2-mile distance.
‘I ran so well. I’m so happy,” Hassan said. ‘I ran a great time. I never thought I would run 2:13. That’s wonderful. It’s incredible.’
Kelvin Kiptum (pictured) set a world record in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday
Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya celebrates after winning the 2023 Chicago Marathon
Kiptum won the London Marathon in the spring in 2:01:25, shaving almost a minute off the world record set last year in Berlin by Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic champion and the most successful marathoner ever. Kipchoge also broke the 2 hour mark in 2019 in a specially designed Vienna exhibition that does not qualify for the world record.
Hassan’s time is second behind the women’s world record of 2:11:53 set by Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia last month in Berlin. Assefa broke the women’s world record by more than two minutes.
More than 47,000 runners took part in Sunday’s event.
Men’s pro winner Kelvin Kiptum and women’s professional division winner Sifan Hassan
The old Chicago Marathon record of 2:03:45 was set in 2013 by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto.
“Chicago is a flat track,” Kiptum said. “I thought I’d go and try Chicago.”
Kiptum was among six men who surged ahead at the start behind four half-marathon pacesetters. Kiptum pulled away from Kipruto after 5km and was joined by compatriot Daniel Mateiko, who had been a pacesetter for Kiptum in London.
Reaching the halfway mark in 1:00:48, just off world record pace, Kiptum pulled away from Mateiko with a 4:21 time in his 20th mile and then covered 40km at 30 seconds under world record pace, setting the stage . for history.