In Chicago, Kelvin Kiptum achieved a world record in the Marathon on Sunday by completing it in just 2 hours and 35 seconds, surpassing fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge's previous record by 34 seconds.

The dream of breaking the two-hour marathon barrier in regular racing conditions moved closer to reality today as 23-year-old Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum blazed through the famously flat route of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this morning, clocking a pending World Athletics record of 2 hours and 35 seconds in only his third marathon, thus slashing 34 seconds from compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's officially recognized world record of 2 hours and 1 minute and 9 seconds set in Berlin in 2022.

"The record has sat in Berlin for a long time, It was time to bring it back to Chicago."

Executive race director Carey Pinkowski, who last saw a world record at his race in 1999 when Khalid Khannouchi ran 2:05:42

Remarkably, Kiptum's achievement was just one of four course records established today. In the women's competition, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, managed to outpace defending champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya in the second half, winning in 2 hours and 13 minutes and 44 seconds, marking the second-fastest time ever recorded. Additionally, wheelchair champions Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner from Switzerland both set new course records with times of 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 37 seconds, and 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 44 seconds, respectively. These record-breaking performances earned all four race champions $50,000 each in course record bonuses, in addition to their prize money.

Kiptum, the victor of last April's TCS London Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 25 seconds, did not arrive in Chicago with the intention of breaking a world record. Instead, his target was to surpass Dennis Kimetto's course record of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 45 seconds, which had been set a decade ago. He mentioned that despite a groin injury that caused some training interruptions at the beginning of his preparation, he felt well-prepared for the race.

As they reached the 5-K mark, Kiptum found himself among a leading group of seven runners, including four pacemakers, posting a time of 14 minutes and 26 seconds, slightly ahead of a 2-hour and 2-minute pace. Among this group were Benson Kipruto, the reigning 2022 champion of the race, and another Kenyan, Daniel Mateiko, who was embarking on his inaugural half-marathon experience.

"It was a little bit less [mileage] but I'm fit for the race."  said Kiptum as he reflected on the early pace. "I feel quite controlled"

However, as they reached the 10-kilometer mark in 28 minutes and 42 seconds, that initial pack had disintegrated, leaving only Kiptum and Mateiko at the front. They had established a 30-second lead over the pursuing group, which would only widen as they pressed on. Nevertheless, Kiptum had not yet shifted his focus toward breaking the world record.

"I was not confident to break, but I was in good shape to run a fast race." "It was from 30 kilometers," he said, thinking back to London.  "Then I make a move."

Assisted by pacemaker Ronald Kirui, Kiptum and Mateiko reached the halfway point in 1 hour, 48 seconds. Kiptum remained composed, recalling his previous victory in London where he made a decisive move in the latter stages of the race, and that was also his strategy for today.

Between the 30th and 35th kilometers, Kiptum maintained an impressive pace of 13 minutes and 51 seconds. During this stretch, he left Mateiko trailing and continued to surge ahead without displaying any signs of fatigue, occasionally glancing behind, although it was hardly necessary since no other runners were in proximity.

In his subsequent 5-kilometer stretch, Kiptum maintained a slightly slower pace of 14 minutes and 1 second, but he had already set himself on course for a sub-2:01 finish. His victory margin over Kipruto was an impressive three and a half minutes, while Mateiko's bid ended between the 35th and 40th kilometers.

Belgium's Bashir Abdi secured the third spot with a time of 2 hours and 4 minutes and 32 seconds, followed by Kenya's John Korir (2 hours and 5 minutes and 9 seconds) and Ethiopia's Seifu Tura (2 hours and 5 minutes and 29 seconds) in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Notably, Tura had previously won the race in 2021.

Conversely, in the women's race, Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands delivered a remarkable performance by clocking the second-fastest time in the history of women's marathons on Sunday morning in Chicago. She shattered the course record by an impressive 30 seconds, completing the race in 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 44 seconds.

Hassan has demonstrated an exceptional versatility over the past year, achieving a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters and a silver in the 5,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships, all just six weeks before participating in her second marathon in Chicago. Ruth Chepngetich, the defending champion from Kenya, secured the second position with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 37 seconds, while Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu completed the podium, finishing in 2 hours and 17 minutes and 9 seconds.

Hassan, who has earned Olympic gold medals in both the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters, made her inaugural marathon appearance earlier this year at the London Marathon. Despite facing difficulties like stopping to stretch and encountering fueling issues, she secured the victory with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 33 seconds.

At the 35-kilometer mark, Hassan had established a 31-second lead over Chepngetich and was comfortably ahead of the course record. Similar to Kelvin Kiptum's remarkable world record-breaking feat, the Dutch athlete was running solo after reaching the 30-kilometer point. She shattered the course record by an astonishing 40 seconds, achieving the second-fastest marathon time in history, surpassed only by Assefa, who redefined the world record with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds in Berlin.

Hassan accomplished more than just breaking the course record; she also established a new European record by surpassing the previous mark set by Paula Radcliffe by over two minutes (formerly 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 25 seconds). She now holds European records for women in events ranging from the 1,500 meters to the marathon. This leads to the question: could a world record be in her future? Before the race, she shared with the media that while Chicago is renowned for its fast course, her full marathon potential has yet to be explored.  “This is just the beginning for me. I still haven’t done a full marathon build.”