CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It took Kenyan long-distance runner Kelvin Kiptum just over two hours to cross the finish line at the 2023 Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
Kiptum’s unofficial time was 2:00:35. It was the 23-year-old’s third career marathon. It was 34 seconds faster than the previous world record, which was set by fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.
“He’s going to crush the world record,” an announcer can be heard shouting as Kiptum crossed the finish line. “Oh my goodness.”
WBBM’s Josh Liss had the call for sister-station 670 the Score.
“The city of Chicago will see a one-of-a-kind event,” he said as Kiptum made his way up Columbus Drive. “Kiptum, in bib No. 2, arms swaying back and forth, pumping his chest … a world record in Chicago. It has been smashed.”
According to Olympics.com, Kiptum, 23, didn’t look as though he’d beat the world record until the final quarter of the race, when he kicked it into another gear. He ran kilometers 30 – 35 in 13:51, which put him on pace to go under 2:01:00.
Dutch runner Sifan Hassan won the women's race with an unofficial time of 2:13:28, which set a course record. Chicago was Hassan’s U.S. marathon debut.
Swiss wheelchair marathoners Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner also set also set course records with their respective times.
More than 47,000 runners were expected to participate in the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Melanie from New Bedford, Mass., said she thinks this is her 16th marathon.
“I lose count,” she said. “They’ve been great. Not all of them have been great. Marathoning is kind of crazy, but I kind of love it.”
She knows this is the first time she’s running in Chicago. Bethany Giles is running her first official race here. The Naperville woman is among many who had to change up things because of COVID.
“2020 was my 40th birthday, so that’s why I did the pandemic one, and then it was my deferment for my Chicago, so this was the last year of my deferment — so I was like, ‘Let’s do it,’” Giles said.
Organizers said after two years of smaller fields due to the pandemic, this year could see a record crowd.
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