Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya shattered the world record at the Chicago Marathon, running 2:00:35 and breaking the previous mark of 2:01:09 set by Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin last year.
Kiptum, 23, was running in only his third marathon. As he did in his first two, he ran the second half of the race faster than the first. He ran 1:00:48 for the first half and 59:47 for the second. Benson Kipruto of Kenya, the race’s defending champion, finished second in 2:04:02. Bashir Abdi of Belgium, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist, was third in 2:o4:32.
Kiptum became the first person in history to go under 2:01 on a record-eligible course. Here are a few fun facts in the wake of Kiptum’s mark:
- Kiptum’s average pace per kilometre: 2:52
- Kiptum’s average pace per 5K: 14:17
- Kiptum’s average pace for one lap of a standard outdoor track: 68.58 seconds
- Kiptum’s time at halfway: 60:48
- Kiptum’s split for his second half marathon: 59:47
- Number of Americans who have run faster than 59:47 for a half marathon on a record-eligible course: 1 (Ryan Hall’s U.S. record is 59:43)
- Average of Kiptum’s three career marathons: 2:01:17
- Number of people who have run one marathon faster than Kiptum’s three-marathon career average on a record-eligible course: 1 (Eliud Kipchoge)
- Amount by which Kiptum broke Eliud Kipchoge’s previous record of 2:01:09: 34 seconds
- Amount by which the men’s world record has fallen since Kiptum was born on December 2, 1999: 5:07