Chicago Marathon: World Record for Ruth Chepngetich at 2:09:56

The 30-year-old Kenyan enters marathon history by becoming the first woman to cross the finish line in under 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Ruth Chepngetich, the 2019 World Marathon Champion in Doha, Qatar, has already made headlines. In April 2021, she set a world record at the Istanbul Half Marathon with a time of 1:04:02.

Having won the Chicago Marathon twice before, in 2021 and 2022, Ruth was one of the favorites and successfully defended her title, also claiming the world record. Before Sunday, her personal best over the distance was 2:14:18, a record she has now surpassed significantly, setting a new world record over the 42.195 km distance.

1:57, the time that made the difference

The previous record, set by Tigst Assefa on September 24, 2023, in Berlin, has been lowered by almost 2 minutes. The Ethiopian’s time stood for just over a year, which is short compared to the previous record, which lasted three years. The race to break records is becoming increasingly fierce and faster.

On October 13, 2024, at the 10 km mark of the Chicago Marathon, Ruth was on pace for a 2:07:30 finish. Although she didn’t maintain that pace throughout, it didn’t prevent her from achieving a legendary feat.

To grasp the magnitude of the Kenyan’s performance, consider her time compared to Ethiopian Sutume Kebede, who finished second: +7:35, with a time of 2:17:32. Ruth Chepngetich dominated the event.

9:21, less than 10 minutes from the men’s record

For the first time in marathon history, the gap between the women’s and men’s records is under 10 minutes. It was at this same Chicago Marathon that the men’s world record was set a year earlier, on October 8, 2023. Kelvin Kiptum, who sadly passed away on February 11, 2024, still holds that historic time of 2:00:35. Ruth commented on this after her race: “I dedicate this record to Kelvin Kiptum. He could have defended his title here and perhaps set another world record today.”

The holder of this new women’s world record was accompanied by two pacemakers, Barnabas Kiptum and Evans Nyakamba Mayaka, who pushed the Kenyan to her limits and helped her maintain an incredible consistency: an average pace of 19.5 km/h.