Key Points
- Ruth Chepngetich aims to break the women-only marathon record.
- London Marathon brings together the world’s top female runners.
- Fierce competition could lead to a new world record.
Women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich will compete in the London Marathon on April 27, the Kenyan runner revealed Wednesday, adding that she feels a new record might be set in the British capital.
Chepngetich sets sights on breaking marathon world records
Chepngetich, 30, created history by becoming the first woman to run under two hours and 10 minutes, setting a world record with a time of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon. The previous record, 2:11:53, was established by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir owns the women-only marathon world record, clocking 2:16:16 at the 2024 London Marathon. Unlike the Chicago event, where women compete alongside males, the London Marathon has a separate elite women’s race.
Chepngetich, a three-time Chicago Marathon winner and 2019 global champion, will face a strong field in London, including defending champion Jepchirchir and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands. Hassan, a three-time Olympic gold champion, won her marathon debut in London in 2023 with a time of 2:18:33.
Kenyan champion reflects on her record-breaking Chicago run
“The world’s top athletes always come together for the London Marathon,” Chepngetich said in a statement. It will be competitive since Peres, myself, and the other women are powerful. We’ll see if we can beat Peres’s world record of 2:16:16 from the previous year, and I want to get as ready as I can. I believe we can help one another with the field’s strength, and perhaps the world record will drop.
Reuters stated that Chepngetich reminisced on her record-breaking performance in Chicago, stating, “I didn’t know it was possible, but I came to realize that dreams can come true.”
