Chicago Marathon 2023
Kelvin Kiptum, the triumphant victor of the 2023 Chicago Marathon, etched his name into the annals of history by shattering Eliud Kipchoge's esteemed world record. Kiptum, previously crowned the London Marathon champion, displayed an extraordinary feat of athleticism, completing the marathon in a remarkable time of 2 hours, 35 seconds, which eclipsed Kipchoge's Berlin record set just a year ago. Meanwhile, the track sensation, Sifan Hassan, etched her name as the second-fastest woman in marathon history.
The 2023 Chicago Marathon bore witness to Kelvin Kiptum's momentous achievement as he rewrote the marathon world record books in spectacular fashion. The 23-year-old, who had boldly declared his ambition to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a recent interview with Olympics.com, lived up to his words by crossing the finish line in a breathtaking 2 hours and 35 seconds, slashing an astonishing 34 seconds from Eliud Kipchoge's previous record.
The race unfolded with an early formation of a lead group, comprising seven runners and a group of dedicated pacemakers. However, as the race progressed, the field thinned, and only Kelvin Kiptum and Daniel Kibet Mateiko managed to maintain contact with a solitary pacemaker.
As the halfway point approached, they were considerably off the world record pace, clocking 1 hour and 48 seconds. It wasn't until Kelvin Kiptum made his decisive move with 10 kilometers remaining that Eliud Kipchoge's record from Berlin became a tangible target once more. Kiptum embarked on a scorching 5-kilometer stretch from the 30-35 kilometer mark, clocking an astounding 13 minutes and 51 seconds, placing him on course to break the elusive 2:01 barrier. His unwavering pace persisted, even as Kibet eventually dropped out in the later stages of the race. Kiptum showcased his endurance by completing the second half-marathon in a blistering 59 minutes and 47 seconds, a rare negative split that underlined his remarkable performance.
In the aftermath of his historic victory, Kelvin Kiptum expressed his elation, stating, "I feel so happy. I was prepared. I knew I was coming for a course record, but fortunately [it was] a world record. A world record was not in my mind today, but I knew one time, one day I’d be a world record holder."
Benson Kipruto, the defending champion from the previous year, secured the second position with a time of 2 hours and 4 minutes, while Belgium's Bashir Abdi trailed 30 seconds behind in third place.
Sifan Hassan, emulating Kiptum's triumph, clinched victory in the women's race with a remarkable time of 2 hours and 13 minutes, establishing herself as the second-fastest woman in marathon history. The race saw Hassan and the two-time reigning champion, Ruth Chepngetich, setting a blistering pace, covering the first 10 kilometers in 31 minutes and 5 seconds, a remarkable 40 seconds faster than Tigst Assefa's world record pace in Berlin just two weeks prior.
Accompanied by three male pacemakers, Hassan and Chepngetich continued to push the boundaries, distancing themselves from the rest of the field. By the 20-kilometer mark, Hassan had relinquished her lead to Chepngetich, who reached the halfway point in 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 42 seconds, a staggering 45 seconds ahead of the world record pace.
However, akin to her victorious debut in London, the Dutchwoman displayed remarkable resilience. After momentarily appearing to struggle, Hassan surged ahead, starting to pull away from her Kenyan rival shortly after the 25-kilometer mark. Although she fell short of Tigst Assefa's world record time by nearly two minutes, Hassan managed to establish a new course record and secure her second consecutive marathon win.
Reflecting on the race, the 30-year-old Hassan remarked that the early pace had been "exceedingly challenging."
