2:00:35 – Kenyan Kiptum ran marathon world record in Chicago

2023-10-08 14:58:12

The 23-year-old won in 2:00:35 hours and improved his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s record by more than half a minute. Olympic champion Kipchoge conjured up 2:01:09 hours on the asphalt in Berlin on September 25, 2022. In the women’s race, the Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan won in the second fastest time in history.

“I’m so happy, I wasn’t prepared for this,” said Kiptum, who had only completed his third marathon. “A world record – that wasn’t what I had in mind today.” From kilometer 35 onwards he was alone and saw the time on the car in front. “I said to myself, let me try. Maybe I can stay under 2 hours.” He knew that one day he would be a world record holder.

He won ahead of compatriot Benson Kipruto (2:04:02) and Belgian Bashir Abdi (2:04:32). On April 23, Kiptum had already run the second-best time in history when he won the 42.195 km in London, coming close to the world record in 2:01:25.

Hassan, who was also successful on the track at the World Athletics Championships, came out on top in 2:13:44 ahead of Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich (2:15:37) and Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu (2:17:09). The winning time was the second fastest ever by a woman in a marathon; only the Ethiopian Tigist Assefa was faster this year on September 24th in Berlin, when she improved the world record in 2:11:53 hours.