The Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum dominated the Chicago Marathon on a cool day on Lake Michigan, ideal to attempt a new world record (2.01.09 hours of Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin 2022). It was his goal and that of the organizers. And it was achieved. Both happy with a final result (2.00.35) that places Kiptum’s mark 34 seconds away from under two hours in an official marathon.
It didn’t matter that the Kenyan lacked the help of the hares after the half marathon, which passed in one hour and 48 seconds when the first ray of sunlight was already filtering through Chinatown.
🎥 WATCH: Kelvin Kiptum has moved the game on.
“I knew one day I would be a world record holder!” #AbbottWMM #ChicagoMarathon pic.twitter.com/NQMXrnGEXa
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) October 8, 2023
Kiptum, 23, then took off his hat and, in the company of debutant Daniel Mateiko, Kipchoge’s outstanding student at his Kaptagat training center, attempted the impossible.
He left Mateiko at kilometer 30 with a partial time under 13.51 minutes at kilometer 35, a change of pace that foreshadowed his spectacular record at the finish line located in Columbus, the new world record that is closer than ever to two hours. . A feat from a guy who until 12 months ago had never run a marathon. The one in Chicago was the third.
🤯 KIPTUM BECOME GIANT IN CHICAGO
⚡️ NEW WR // 2:00:35
● Dethrones Kipchoge (-34 seconds to his WR).
● First sub 2:01:00 in history.
● 27:50 from 30 to 40.
● Second major.
● It all started in @maratonvalencia.#RUNNER\ pic.twitter.com/GF9rsSkRrW— CORREDOR\ (@soycorredor_es) October 8, 2023
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“I feel very happy,” Kiptum declared. “I wasn’t prepared for this. I came to try for the race record, but luckily it was a world record. I knew that one day I would have a world record.”
In the women’s category, the victory went to the Dutch Sifan Hassan (2:13:44), who won ahead of the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich (2:15:37), who completed the best first half of a women’s marathon (1 :05:42); and from the Ethiopian Megertu Alemu (2:17:09).