Kenyan athletics chiefs were on Monday basking in the glory of another marathon world record for one of their long distance runners after Ruth Chepngetich shaved nearly two minutes off the previous high in the women's race at Sunday's Chicago Marathon.
The 30-year-old finished the 42km course in two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds and dedicated her historic feat to her fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum who died in a car accident last February in Kenya four months after setting a world record in the men's race at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
"I feel so great, I'm proud of myself," said Chepngetich. "This is my dream that has come true. I've fought a lot. I have been thinking about the world record and I have fulfilled it.
"The world record has come back to Kenya and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin," added Chepngetich who became the first woman to win the Chicago Marathon three times since its inception in 1977.
"The weather was perfect and I was well prepared," she said. "The world record was in my mind."
Ethiopian Sutume Kebede came second in two hours, 17 minutes and 32 seconds. Irine Cheptai from Kenya was third.
The 50,000 runners observed a moment of silence on the starting line in honour of Kiptum who set a mark of two hours and 35 seconds last October.
Organisers also handed out stickers displaying Kiptum's time for the runners to put on their race bibs.
Inspiration
John Korir, who took the mens race, admitted that he used the memory of his compatriot as a source of motivation.
"I was thinking about Kelvin and I said: 'Last year if he could run under two hours and one minute, why not me?' So I had to believe in myself and try to do my best."
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Korir, 27, won his first major international competition in a personal best time of two hours, two minutes and 43 seconds. "It was really nice to run my personal best and win in Chicago," he added.
Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa came second and Amos Kipruto from Kenya was third.
