The Chicago Marathon is now home to the fastest men’s and women’s marathons in history.
One year after Kelvin Kiptum ran the fastest official marathon ever recorded, Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich became the first woman to ever run a marathon in under two hours, 10 minutes. She finished Sunday’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds.
Her record will need to be ratified by World Athletics, which could come in a few weeks.
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The world record shaved off nearly two minutes from the previous world record set by Tigist Assefa. Assefa ran last year’s Berlin Marathon in 2:11:53.
Prior to Assefa’s performance, the women’s world record for a marathon was 2:14:04. While improved training and dietary techniques have helped runners reach new levels, advancements in shoe technology has played a key role. Chepngetich sported a pair of Nike Alphafly 3s, which include a carbon fiber plate that maximizes energy return.
The same type of shoes were worn last year by Kiptum during his world record-setting jaunt.
Chepngetich said setting the world record was her “dream.” This was her third time winning the Chicago Marathon in four years after coming up second last year.
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“The weather was perfect,” she said. “I was prepared.”
She was more than a mile ahead of her closest competitor, Sutume Asefa Kebede of Ethiopia, as she crossed the finish line seven minutes and 36 seconds ahead of her.
In an interview with NBC following Sunday’s race, Chepngetich said she was dedicating her race to fellow Kenyan Kiptum, who died in February in a vehicle accident.
The men’s division of the Chicago Marathon was won by Kenya’s John Korir, who finished with a time of 2:02:44. Korir’s run was the sixth-fastest on record.
The top Ameican male was C.J. Albertson, who finished seventh overall with a time of 2:08:17. It was the second-quickest marathon run by an American male this year.
The top American female woman was Susanna Sullivan, a sixth-grade teacher who ran the course in 2:21:56. It was the second-fastest marathon completed by an American woman this year.
