On Sunday, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon blew through the Windy City, and so did Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum, who torched the competition, setting a new world record. Kiptum came in first with two hours and 35 seconds, besting the former world record of 2:01:09 set in the Berlin Marathon last September by fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.
At only 23 years old, Kiptum may become the first to complete the 26.2 miles in under two hours in a race. Kiptum has set the running world on fire since his marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon in Spain last December, where he completed it with a time of 2:01:53.
His next race was in April at the World Marathon Major in London, where he nearly turned in another world record at 2:01:25. He took home the gold medal in the process, which was still a new course record for the London Marathon. His time was just 16 seconds shy of Kipchoge’s world record.
Kiptum Is A Kenyan Star
On Friday, Kiptum predicted he would break a record in this year’s race in Chicago.
“I think on Sunday, if the weather is good, I will go under the current course record,” Kiptum said per NBC5 Chicago.
As he saw the time and his progress, he realized he was spot on with his prophecy.
“Yes, I saw the time in front of me. I said let me try. Maybe I can run under two,” Kiptum said to NBC5 Chicago after the win. “A world record was not in my mind today but I knew one day, one time I would be a world record holder,” Kiptum reportedly said at the finish line.
History Of Greatness
Kiptum dethroned last year’s winner, Amos Kipruto, and would have been the first back-to-back men’s open field champion since Sammy Wanjiru in 2010. Both are also Kenyans.
Before Kiptum’s record-breaking time, American runner Khalid Khannouchi was the last to break a world record outside of Berlin when he ran a 2:05:38 at the London Marathon in April 2002.
The next step for the new record time is verification by the World Athletics, formerly known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, to make it official.
Kiptum is the latest Kenyan to set the running world on fire and has many more races to try and surpass his records.