Ruth Chepngetich described it as a dream come true, breaking the women's marathon world record. She shaved almost two minutes off the previous mark when she became the first woman ever to run under two hours and ten minutes when she won the Chicago Marathon.
She clocked 2:09:57 to win the race, beating Tigst Assefa's previous best time of 2:11:53, set at the Berlin Marathon in September last year.
Chepngetich told Telecomasia.net after her brilliant performance:
I feel so great and I am proud of what I have achieved in Chicago. It has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it has finally come true. I’ve worked hard and sacrificed a lot to achieve this, and now I have. I am also delighted to make history for the women's marathon.
Chepngetich, the 2019 World Champion, ran a solo race and maintained a steady pace to break the world record. Before the race, she told Telecomasia.net that she was interested in breaking the Course Record set by Sifan Hassan the previous year.
But, when she realized she could go for the world record, she decided to give it a stab.
The weather was perfect and I was well prepared after running in London. I felt strong even after reaching the halfway mark and when I saw the time, I thought why not? The world record was on my mind.
Ruth Chepngetich exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
This was her fourth time competing in Chicago, and she earned her third victory. Last year Ruth finished second.