Pul-vé-ri-sé! Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum achieved a feat this Sunday, in Chicago, crushing his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon world record: he finished in 2h00”35 compared to 2h01”09” in Berlin 2022 for Kipchoge. Already close to breaking the record in London in April, Kiptum, 23, was only competing in his third marathon in Illinois. Kipchoge, winner in Berlin in September, was absent.
Passed in 1 hour and 48 seconds halfway through the race, Kiptum managed as usual to accelerate further in the second half to let go of his compatriot Daniel Mateiko at the 33rd kilometer, before flying towards the finish line, in perfect weather conditions (between 7 and 10 degrees, overcast weather, light wind).
A hoped-for duel against Kipchoge at the Paris Olympics
“I wasn’t necessarily ready for that, but a world record, I’m so happy! I knew I would beat this record one day,” declared the winner into the organizer’s microphone. Less than a year after his first marathon in Valencia (2h01’53” in December 2022), Kiptum becomes the fastest athlete in history over the queen distance, where Eliud Kipchoge, aged 38, had triumphed after a career built in stages, first on the track until he was 27.
Kiptum won his three marathons in eleven months. The young Kenyan has never raced against Kipchoge: a clash is hoped for next year at the Paris Olympics, where his elder will aim for a third consecutive title.
Among the women, two weeks after the new world record of the Ethiopian Tigst Assefa in Berlin (2h11’53”), the Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan finished the marathon in 2h13’44’, only six weeks after being a medalist at the Worlds. Budapest Athletics (over 1500 and 5000 m). This is the second best time in history.