Kipchoge breaks ‘2:35’ for first time at Chicago Marathon
Won by 34 seconds, beating the Kipchoge record, averaging 17.1 seconds over 100 meters
Raised goats in Kenya and coached ‘solo marathons’ “I eat, sleep and train”
Kiptoom
Poses for a photo with a piece of paper that reads “World Record” in front
of an electronic clock that reads 2 hours, 00 minutes, 35 seconds.
That ‘someday’ came much sooner than Kelvin Kipyum (24-KENYA)
expected. Kipchoge won the 2023 Chicago Marathon in a world record
time of 2 hours, 00 minutes, 35 seconds on Monday. Kipchoge became the
first man in marathon history to break the 2:01 barrier. The previous
record was 2:01:09, set by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, 39, at the Berlin
Marathon last September. Kipchoge broke the record by 34 seconds.
Kipchoge, who won back-to-back Olympic titles in Rio de Janeiro in 2016
and Tokyo in 2021, ran 59:51 at last year’s Berlin Marathon. Kipchoge was
nearly a minute behind him at the Chicago Marathon that day, crossing the
line in 1:48, but Kipchoge eventually overtook him in the second half of
the race, running 59:47. Kipchoge crossed the finish line in style, waving to
his supporters and blowing kisses with both hands. On the day, Kipchoge
covered 42.195 kilometers in an average of 17.1 seconds for the 100 meters.
A native of Chepsamo
A rural town about 300 kilometers northwest of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, Kipchoge was a shy boy a decade ago, raising goats and sheep in his hometown. He began running behind runners who traveled to Kenya to train for marathons, but it wasn’t until 2019 that he got serious about training. Kipchoge was so embarrassed to compete on the same course as his idol that he opted not to run the Berlin Marathon on March 25, opting instead for the Chicago Marathon. “Records are meant to be broken,” said Kipchoge, who also won the Berlin Marathon this year. I hope Kipchoge breaks the record,” he encouraged.
For Kipchoge, the Chicago Marathon was his third full marathon. Kipchut made a name for himself last December at the Valencia Marathon, where he ran 2:01:53, the fastest time ever for a full-course debutant. It was also the fourth-fastest time of all time. At the London Marathon in April this year, he ran 2:01:25, 28 seconds faster than his personal best and the second fastest time behind Kipchoge. Now, Kipchoge has to go through the usual verification process with Athletics World Federation (WA) to become an ‘All-Time Number One’.
Kipchoge’s coach
Gervais Hakizimana (37-Rwanda), says: “Kipchoge eats, sleeps and trains. Whereas Kipchoge runs 180 to 220 kilometers every week, Kiptoom runs 250 to 280 kilometers. Sometimes he runs more than 300 kilometers,” says Kipchoge. “I’m worried about injuries, and when I tell him, ‘This could end your career in five years,’ he doesn’t listen. This time, he’s going to make me take a month off somehow.”
Sifan Hassan (30-Netherlands) topped the women’s field at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:13:44, the second-best time ever. The 2021 Tokyo Olympics 5000m and 10,000m winner, who “only runs,” ran the full course just a month and a half after winning bronze in the 1500m and silver in the 5000m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. 스포츠토토링크
