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Kenyan Chepngetich Sets Women’s World Record at Chicago Marathon

Ruth Chepngetich crosses the finish line to win the 2024 Chicago Marathon professional women's division, and sets a new world record with a time of 2:09:56, at Grant Park in Chicago on Oct. 13, 2024. Photographer: Michael Reaves/Getty Images (Michael Reaves/Photographer: Michael Reaves/Get)

(Bloomberg) -- Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich shattered the world record for women at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

Chepngetich completed the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) race in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 56 seconds, nearly two minutes faster than the previous record, and is now the first woman to break the 2-hour-10-minute barrier in a marathon. Fellow Kenyan John Korir won the men’s race in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 43 seconds. 

“The world record has come back to Kenya,” Chepngetich said, according to the Associated Press. Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa was the previous record holder.

“I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum,” Chepngetich added. Kiptum, a Kenyan who set the men’s world record in Chicago a year ago and came close to breaking the magical two-hour barrier, was killed in a car crash in February at age 24.

The runners and organizers of this year’s Chicago Marathon held a moment of silence for Kiptum before the race, and the nearly 50,000 runners were offered a memorial sticker to add to their bibs, the AP said.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.