Ruth Chepngetich, a Kenyan, sprinted to success, setting a world-record time in the woman’s race during the MMI Chicago Marathon held on the 13th of October 2024, where she managed to cross the finish line at 2 hours, 9 minutes and 56 seconds. This was the fastest women’s marathon time, breaking the record of Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa. In the process, Chepngetich became the only woman in the world to finish a marathon in less than 2 hours and 10 minutes. Additionally, her very impressive half-marathon split of 1:04:16 remains the best in U.S. marathon history for that distance. Congratulations! Now, let’s figure out what her secret is.
The Path to Greatness: Chepngetich’s Preparation and Strategy
In the lead-up to her record-breaking race, Chepngetich trained intensively in London, aiming specifically for the Chicago course’s renowned speed. London is a familiar city for Chepngetich. In 2020, she already brought bronze from the London Marathon. This stands out from her results in recent years, since the vast majority of her medals are gold. So, only since the London race, the athletes brought five gold and 1 silver medal.
Experts even noted a funny picture – bookmakers accepted bets on Chepngetich with minimal odds since it was obvious that she would win with a very high probability. Despite this, Kenyans support their compatriot with bets every time on the bookmaker website MelBet in Kenya. So bettors feel like they are sharing the victory with the girl while receiving a nice cash bonus. By the way, about money – Kenyans also set a record for earnings, receiving a reward of $250,000 for winning the marathon in Nagoya in 2022.
Thanks to hard training, everything went according to plan in Chicago 2024. Known for its flat terrain, this marathon allows top runners to chase world records, and Chepngetich approached it with a strategy to dominate early on. Her remarkable first-half split of 1:04:16 marked the fastest half-marathon pace recorded in the U.S., setting her up to break the record. This level of preparation and precision timing reflects the intense training it took to achieve such historic results on race day.
A Tribute to Kelvin Kiptum: A Moment of Silence
As the race commenced, runners took a moment to extend their tributes to Kelvin Kiptum, the holder of the men’s marathon world record with a time of 2:00:35 achieved in Chicago in 2023. Unfortunately, Kiptum died in a car accident in his homeland in early 2024, as Deutsche Welle reports in its article. Already at the finish line, Chepngetich said that she dedicated her victory to him. Not only the Kenyan team but also all participants did not remain on the sidelines of the act of memory – athletes honored the memory of their fallen comrade. The record set by Ruth became, undoubtedly an unforgettable memorial to the athlete who left us so early.
Chicago Marathon: A Record-Breaking Track
With flat terrain, the course records on the course are some of the most competitive as World Record Chasers and Elite Runners target their best. The course takes you through various neighborhoods with various points of interest to enhance the experience, all of which come from the need to help elite athletes achieve their goals. As one of the ‘Big Six’ World Marathon Majors, Chicago sits alongside other important races worldwide, such as:
- Tokyo Marathon
- Boston Marathon
- London Marathon
- Berlin Marathon
- New York Marathon
Previous course record holders Brigid Kosgei in 2019 and Kelvin Kiptum in 2023 also achieved their best times on this course, cementing Chicago’s status as an epicenter of historical record achievements.
Kenya’s Marathon Legacy: A Dynasty of Champions
For the longest time, Kenyans have won most of the marathons held across the globe, with over 40 wins in Chicago and counting for men and women combined. Anyone would lose any desire to compete with the Kenyans in athletics – just look at the Olympic Committee’s medal report. The country’s athletes brag about a combination of factors, which include training in high altitudes, a culture that supports running as a sport, and great sporting mentorship.
Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei are indeed in a class of their own, having raised the bar for long-distance running and becoming an inspiration to the up-and-coming stars. There is no refuting the place of Kenya even in the history of marathons, and it is without surprise that the Chicago Fast Course has become one of the favorites for these athletes. In 2019, Brigid Kosgei, wearing Kenya’s colors, did not disappoint as she went ahead and broke a world record here.
Top Finishers and Their Times: The Competition Breakdown
At the Chicago Marathon of 2024, which was the year’s event for the best times and where the elite East African runner line up saw Ruth Chepngetich set a new record with a time of 2:09:56 in the women’s category, followed by John Korir of Kenya achieving 2:02:44 in the men’s race and this extension was the fastest time ever to finish at the Chicago Marathon in its entire history. Following is the summary of the three best finishers in the men’s division as well as the women’s division, both of which were held simultaneously:
| Category | Runner | Country | Time |
| Women | Ruth Chepngetich | Kenya | 2:09:56 |
| Sutume Kebede | Ethiopia | 2:17:32 | |
| Irene Cheptai | Kenya | 2:17:52 | |
| Men | John Korir | Kenya | 2:02:44 |
| Mohamed Hussein Esa | Ethiopia | 2:04:39 | |
| Amos Kipruto | Kenya | 2:04:50 |
The winners were predicted quite accurately by the viewers themselves – almost all of those who made it into both top three were the main choice for betting on MelBet Kenya. The rivalry showcased the outstanding talents of these athletes as well as the impressive depth of marathon runners from East Africa.
Ruth Chepngetich’s Career Highlights: From World Champion to World Record Holder
In 2019, Ruth Chepngetich won the attention of many in long-distance races when she won the World Championship marathon series in Doha. She is characterized by great endurance in that, in 2021, she managed to run a women’s half-marathon world record of 1:04:02 in Istanbul.
The full history of the Kenyan’s sporting achievements can be viewed on MelBet com, and there is something to brag about: she has now won the 2021, 2022, and 2024 editions of the Chicago marathon in a space of one year, and in a third time now in Chicago marathon, she has shown how familiar she is with the course. In addition to her marathon titles, she also represented Kenya at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and proved to be one of the most notable athletes in athletics.
The Bigger Picture: What This Record Means for Women’s Athletics
So, over the past few years, Ruth Chepngetich has had a truly stellar career. In 2019, she won the attention of many in long-distance races when she won the World Championship marathon series in Doha. She is characterized by great endurance in that, in 2021, she managed to run a women’s half-marathon world record of 1:04:02 in Istanbul. For the third time in two years, she won the Chicago marathon, 2021, 2022, and 2024 editions of the event, proving how familiar she is with the course.
Apart from her marathon titles, she also represented Kenya at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to cement her name as one of the top athletes in athletics. And this is despite the fact that Ruth is older than many in the sport – this year she turned 30! Well, we wish Ruth to continue to set an example for the youth, and for everyone else to strive for her records.
