Kiptum Breaks Kipchoge’s Record in Stunning Fashion at Chicago Marathon

Kelvin Kiptum emerged as the new marathon record holder by shattering Eliud Kipchoge's record during his triumphant victory at the Chicago Marathon on October 8, 2023.

The reigning London Marathon Champion surpassed expectations by crossing the finish line in just 2:00:35, marking a new monumental record. Second place was taken by Benson Kipruto, the previous winner of the Chicago Marathon, who finished with a time of 2:04:02. Belgian runner Bashir Abdi captured the third place spot with a time of 2:04:32. Kiptum easily maintained his lead throughout the race, with his fellow competitors simply unable to catch up. Daniel Mateiko proved to be the closest rival, but by the 10km, Kiptum had already proven his dominance.

The other runners attempted in vain to surpass Kiptum as they approached the 20km mark but to no avail. Kipruto started out in fourth place but made valiant strides to catch up to the frontrunners. However, as they sailed through the 25km checkpoint, it became unquestionably evident that Kiptum had no intention of relinquishing his position at the front. At just 23 years old, he crossed the threshold with a sizzling pace of 1:12:04, with teammate Mateiko hot on his heels at 1:12:05. When they had advanced to the 30km mark, Kipruto found himself in seventh, striving fiercely to close the gap on a group of Ethiopian runners.

His substantial lead overshadowed his competitors by the time he ran past the 35-km mark at 1 hour, 40 minutes and 22 seconds. Despite being new to the Chicago Marathon, Mateiko reached that point at 1:41:11. Kiptum's dominance emerged yet again paving the way for him to sweep across the finish line coming just shy of the elusive two-hour barrier. The event saw Kipchoge's record broken and a new history made under Kiptum's belt. Notably, Kiptum has now secured three of the top six fastest marathon times in history. This impressive feat includes a record-breaking time of 2:01:53 in Valencia last December, followed by a remarkable 2:01:25 in London this past April.