In Summary
- It’s officially official Kelvin Kiptum is the marathon world record holder.
- World Athletics announced on Tuesday that it has ratified Kiptum’s winning time.
- Kiptum became the first athlete to break 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon.
World Athletics announced on Tuesday that it has ratified Kelvin Kiptum’s winning time of 2:00:35 from the Chicago Marathon on October 8 as the world record
Kelvin Kiptum’s world marathon record of 2:00:35 set in Chicago last year has been ratified.
Kenya’s Kiptum became the first athlete to break 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon, taking 34 seconds off the world record at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on 8 October.
With that performance, Kiptum improved his PB by 50 seconds to surpass the world record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin on 25 September 2022.
READ Also: Kelvin Kiptum In final list For 2023 Men’s World Athlete Awards
Kiptum pushed the pace throughout the race in Chicago. He broke away from a seven-strong lead group after reaching 5km in 14:26, joined by his compatriot Daniel Mateiko.
They were on world record pace at 10km, passed in 28:42, but the tempo dropped a little and they reached half way in 1:00:48.
After 30km was passed in 1:26:31, Kiptum kicked and dropped Mateiko. A blistering 5km split of 13:51 took him to the 35km checkpoint in 1:40:22 and he was on sub-2:01 pace, 49 seconds ahead of Mateiko.
READ Also: Eliud Kipchoge yet to Congratulate Kelvin Kiptum!
Eliud Kipchoge Challenge
In 2019, Kipchoge became the first man to ever run sub-2 when he clocked 1:59:40.2 as part of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge.
The performance, while spectacularly inspiring, was not eligible for world record consideration because Kipchoge did not have any open competitors in the race; he benefited from a pace car beaming the projected tempo on the road with laser lights; was provided hydration by bicycle; and had a rotating phalanx of seven fresh pacers throughout the race.
