Video: Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei set the Marathon world record at Chicago Marathon
- Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei set the world record and won the 2019 Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
- Her time of 2:14:04 surpasses the mark (2:15:25) set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003.
- She finished nearly 7 minutes ahead of second place. Emmas Bates was the top American, finishing fourth in 2:25:27.
Brigid Kosgei of Kenya made history today at the Chicago Marathon, setting a world record of 2:14:04.
She smashed Paula Radcliffe’s mark of 2:15:25 from the London Marathon in 2003. Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia, who before today had a personal best of 2:24:02 from Tokyo in March, was second in 2:20:51, nearly 7 minutes behind Kosgei. Gelete Burka of Ethiopia was third in 2:20:55.
She passed the halfway mark in 1:06:59, and observers wondered if her early opening miles would be her downfall in the later stages of the race. But she ran almost perfectly even splits, clocking 1:07:05 for the second half.
With two dedicated pacers ahead of her, Kosgei went out in a torrid first 5K of 15:28, which projects to a 2:10 marathon. Her pacers slowed the tempo slightly after that, but Kosgei was still well ahead of world record pace. By 10K, she had a 32-second gap on her nearest pursuer.
Kosgei said that faster times were possible—for her and for other women.
“It’s amazing for me,” she said. “I never believed that time. But I’ve seen 2:10 is possible for a lady to run if they are sure. During training, you must focus everything.”
During her buildup to Chicago, she was focused on improving her best time (previously 2:18:20 from London where she won in April) and training for 2:15.
“Today I run 2:14:04,” she said. “I’m still focusing to reduce my time again if it’s possible, if my body could be good, I could reduce a little bit.”
When asked what she would say to people who are skeptical of her performance, given some high profile doping suspensions by Kenyan women in recent years, she distanced herself.
“About doping, me I do not know about it, those people,” she said. “It is far from me. It is different where we train. Me, I don’t know about those doping. I say each and every person can run clean. And you must work hard.”
The conditions were perfect for a record run, with temperatures around 40 degrees and light winds. With the two pacers ahead of her, Kosgei said she was protected from the breezes.
She made a last-minute decision to wear the same Nike shoes that Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya wore on Saturday in his event where he broke two hours for a marathon. Kenyans now own the men’s and women’s marathon world records. (Kipchoge’s official record was at Berlin last year, where he ran 2:01:39.)
“I appreciate what position I become and the record, which I break today,” she said. “My brother, Kipchoge, I was happy for him again. I hope Kenya now, they are happy. They have a woman and a man who are the record holders.”
The 25-year-old earns $100,000 for the win and $75,000 for breaking the Chicago course record, which was 2:17:18, also held by Radcliffe.
In her second marathon, Emma Bates was the top American finisher. She finished fourth in 2:25:27, which puts her ninth on the list of fastest U.S. marathoners.
