- Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum breaks men’s marathon world record in Chicago.
- Kiptum crosses the line in 2:00:35, shaving 34 seconds off the previous record.
- Kiptum’s achievement is remarkable, given his relative lack of experience.
Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya broke the men’s marathon world record on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at the Chicago Marathon, becoming the first person to record a time faster than 2:01:00. He crossed the line in 2:00:35, shaving 34 seconds off the previous world record set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in 2022.
Kiptum, 23, was running just the third competitive marathon of his career. He completed the race almost three and a half minutes ahead of anyone else, with Kenya’s Benson Kipruto finishing in second and Belgium’s Bashi Abdi in third.
“I knew I was coming for a course record, but a world record – I am so happy,” Kiptum said afterwards. “A world record was not on my mind today, but I knew one day I would be a world record-holder.”
Kiptum’s achievement is remarkable, especially considering that he is still relatively new to the sport of marathon running. He had remained outside world record pace at the halfway point with a time of 1:00:48 but accelerated 10 kilometers from the finish to seal his place in the history books.
Such a result has long seemed possible for Kiptum, who completed the fastest ever marathon debut race last December and set a course record in London in April with a time just 16 seconds outside of Kipchoge’s then world record.
Kiptum’s world record performance is a testament to the incredible talent and depth of Kenyan marathon running. It is also a sign that the two-hour marathon barrier is now within reach, and it will be exciting to see if Kiptum or another runner can break it in the near future.
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