CHICAGO, Oct 14 — Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya demolished the women’s world record by almost two minutes yesterday as she won the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours 9 minutes 56 seconds, inspired by the late Kelvin Kiptum.

The 30-year-old Chepngetich became the first three-time women’s winner of the Chicago race, breaking the previous world record of 2:11:53 set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa last year in Berlin.

"I feel so great, I’m proud of myself. This is my dream that has come true,” said Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion.

"I’ve fought a lot thinking about the world record and I have fulfilled it.”

Chepngetich, who also won in Chicago in 2021 and 2022, dedicated her latest victory to Kiptum, who set the men’s world record at last year’s race just months before he died in a car accident at the age of 24.

Ethiopian Sutume Kebede, a former training partner of Kiptum’s, came second on yesterday in 2:17:32. Kenyan Irine Cheptai finished third. — AFP