In a historic performance at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich smashed the women's marathon world record, crossing the finish line in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds. Chepngetich obliterated the previous record by nearly two minutes, marking her third victory in Chicago and cementing her status among the world's elite marathoners.
Chepngetich set a blistering pace from the outset, completing the first five kilometers in just 15 minutes flat. By the halfway mark, she had left the competition far behind, building a 14-second lead over Ethiopia's Sutume Kebede. Running through enthusiastic crowds, she maintained her momentum and surged through the final stretch to claim the record-breaking win.
\"This is my dream that has come true,\" an elated Chepngetich said after the race. Her time was initially recorded as 2:09:57 but was later adjusted to 2:09:56. The previous world record of 2:11:53 was set by Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa last year in Berlin.
Kebede finished second, crossing the line seven minutes and 36 seconds after Chepngetich. Kenya's Irine Cheptai secured third place with a time of 2:17:51, rounding out an impressive display of East African long-distance running prowess.
On the men's side, Kenya's John Korir triumphed with a time of 2:02:44, adding to a memorable day for Kenyan athletes in Chicago.
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Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya smashes women's marathon world record
cgtn.com
