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Kenya's Chepngetich breaks marathon world record

The 30-year-old clocked a time of two hours, nine minutes and 57 seconds

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by BBC NEWS

Africa13 October 2024 - 19:44
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In Summary


  • Chepngetich is the first woman to run a marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes.
  • Assefa set the previous record with victory at the 2023 Berlin Marathon in two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.
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Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich broke the world record to win the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

The 30-year-old clocked a time of two hours, nine minutes and 57 seconds to surpass Ethiopian Tigst Assefa's previous record by nearly two minutes.

Chepngetich is the first woman to run a marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes.

Assefa set the previous record with victory at the 2023 Berlin Marathon in two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.

" I feel so great, I'm proud of myself. This is my dream that has come true," said Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion.

"I've fought a lot thinking about the world record and I have fulfilled it."

Victory for Chepngetich is her third in Chicago, where she missed out on breaking compatriot Brigid Kosgei's then-world record by 14 seconds in 2022.

Four of the five fastest women's marathon times have been run on the flat Chicago course over the last six years.

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