Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich has smashed the women’s marathon world record in Chicago, setting a historic time to break the 2:10:00 barrier.
She clocked an astonishing time of 2:09:57, breaking the previous record of 2:11:53 set by Tigst Assefa in Berlin last September.
The 30-year-old, who won the Chicago Marathon for the third time after previous victories in 2021 and 2022, was stunned after crossing the finish line.
The 2:10:00 barrier was long considered unbreakable for a woman, and was compared to the 2:00:00 mark for elite men’s marathon runners.
Chepngetich had previously ranked fourth on the all-time list but chalked almost five minutes off her personal best – set in Chicago two years ago.
Her victory completed a Kenyan double in Chicago, as John Korir won the men’s race – a fitting tribute to the late Kiptum, who set his world record last October.
