Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum shattered the men's marathon world record in Chicago on Sunday, winning in two hours and 35 seconds to beat compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's previous mark by more than 30 seconds.
Kiptum shattered the London Marathon course record this year and was determined to make magic again in the Windy City as he sped up through the 35-kilometre mark before thrusting his arms in the air to cheers from the crowd down the final stretch.
Kiptum had not originally targeted the record but said he knew that twice Olympic champion Kipchoge's previous mark of 2:01:09 was within reach in the final kilometres, as he dug deep to make history.
"I feel so happy. I wasn't prepared," he said at the finish line. "A world record was not in my mind today."
He broke the tape three minutes and 27 seconds ahead of compatriot Benson Kipruto, while Belgian Bashir Abdi finished third in 2:04:32.
WORLD RECORD: We have a new man in town. Kelvin Kiptum just broke Eliud Kipchoge's World Record with an unofficial time of 2:00:35! UNBELIEVABLE! pic.twitter.com/XfeMEzPveZ
— Chicago Marathon (@ChiMarathon) October 8, 2023
Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan denied Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich a third straight Chicago Marathon title, winning her second-ever marathon in a scorching two hours 13 minutes and 44 seconds.
The Dutch middle-distance star won on her marathon debut in London this year and had no issues with the longer distance yet again as she produced the second-fastest women's marathon time.
She broke the tape one minute and 53 seconds ahead of Chepngetich. Ethiopian Alemu Megertu took third in 2:17:09.
"I just love it," Hassan said of the marathon grind. "When you're finished you want to do it again."
She picked up two medals at the World Athletics Championships in August - a silver in the 5,000 metres and bronze in the 1,500 - but showed no signs of fatigue in Chicago, as she and Chepngetich took the early lead.
She broke away from the Kenyan by the 30-kilometre mark and had established a more than 30-second lead with less than 10 kilometres to go.
Hassan powered through the final stretch and crumpled to the ground after breaking the tape.
"I'm very, very, very happy about my training," she said. "I don’t know if six weeks was enough but I have trained so hard... a little bit too cold today and still I ran an amazing time. It’s incredible."
Her time came two weeks after Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa smashed the women's marathon world record in Berlin in 2:11:53.
