Kiptum shatters Eliud Kipchoge’s Marathon world record

• Kiptum became the first man to ever run under 2:01
• He won the Chicago Marathon in 2:00:35
• This was only his third marathon in history

Kenya’s Kevin Kiptum has shattered Eliud Kipchoge’s Marathon world record after running 2:00:35 in winning the Chicago Marathon title on Sunday. Kiptum was only running his third marathon in history, having won in Valencia in the fastest debut ever recorded while he won in London in the second fastest time in history.

Kiptum became the first man to ever run a marathon under 2:01, lowering Kipchoge’s World Record of 2:01:09 set at the Berlin Marathon last year.

“I am really happy. I had come here trying to run a course record but fortunately I ran a World Record. I knew one day one time I would be a World Record holder. I just never thought it would be today. I saw the time after 35km and I said let me try maybe I can run under 2:00,” Kiptum said after the race.

He added; “This is my first time in Chicago. I have heard before that it’s a flat course and I said let me come try. I am happy with how it has ended.”

Kiptum showed his intent right from the start, as he chose to work up a blistering fast start to the race. He broke away from a seven-strong lead group after reaching 5km in 14:26, joined only by his compatriot Daniel Mateiko, who was making his marathon debut.

Clean inside world record pace at 10km

They were on world record pace at 10km, passed in 28:42, but the tempo dropped a little from that point and they reached half way in 1:00:48.

But, the 23-year old, just like what has ow become his trademark in his first two marathons, went for negative splits with a really quick second half of the race covered in under an hour.

After 30km was passed in 1:26:31, Kiptum kicked and dropped Mateiko. He was glancing over his shoulder but running like he still had the world record – not only the win – in his sights.

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.

Continuing to run with urgency, he passed 40km in 1:54:23 – after a 27:52 10km split – and sped up further, storming over the finish line with the incredible figures of 2:00:35 on the clock.

Despite only having made his marathon debut 10 months ago, Kiptum now has three of the six fastest times in history to his name. Only Kipchoge (with 2:01:09 and 2:01:39) and Kenenisa Bekele (with 2:01:41) have ever gone faster than the slowest of Kiptum’s times.

Mateiko drop off after hot-paced run 

Mateiko had helped to pace Kiptum to his 2:01:25 win in London, running to the 30km mark. The pair stayed together until that point in Chicago, too, but Mateiko couldn’t maintain the pace and dropped out after reaching 35km in 1:41:11.

Defending champion Benson Kipruto used his experience of the course to leave the chase group behind after 35km and was a comfortable runner-up in 2:04:02, finishing half a minute ahead of Belgium’s world and Olympic bronze medallist Abdi.

Kenya’s John Korir was fourth in 2:05:09, Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura fifth in 2:05:29 and USA’s Conner Mantz sixth in 2:07:47.