I’ll break world record, but not in Chicago – Kelvin Kiptum

Marathoner Kelvin Kiptum believes he will break the men full marathon world record currently being held by compatriot Eliud Kipchoge, but he doesn’t see it happening next month when he takes the streets of Chicago on October 8 for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The second fastest runner over the 42 kilometers distance, told People Sport that he started late training after taking a break following his win during this year’s London Marathon.

“I know I will break the marathon world record, but that may not happen during the Chicago race, because I started late training and my body is not yet at it’s best form,” Kiptum said.

Kiptum was little known to most until April 23 this year, when he won the London Marathon in a time of 2:01:25 to become the second fastest marathoner of all time, behind only Eliud Kipchoge. It was the 23-year-old’s second ever marathon, following his debut at the Valencia Marathon last year – which he went on to win in what was the fastest debut in marathon history and his time of 2:01:53 was the third fastest time then.

During the London Marathon, he came very close to crushing Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon world record time of 2:1:09 and pundits have tipped him lower the mark sooner than later, given the fact that the course in London is not one of the favourable ones and he still managed to come within striking range of Kipchoge’s mark.

He ran a perfect race in London, running a negative split that saw him put in a surge at 31km to break clear. He completed the second half of the race in just 59 minutes 45 seconds, the fastest half marathon ever seen in a full marathon race.

He finished almost three minutes ahead of compatriot and two-time New York Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor, who crossed the line in 02:04:23, and 3 minutes 34 seconds ahead of marathon world champion Tamirat Tola, who finished third in 02:04:59.

Not only did the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) and LG Sports Personality of the Month award winner of April, smash Kipchoge’s 2019 London Marathon course record but was just 17 seconds away from beating his compatriot’s marathon world record, set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon (02:01:09).

He has currently intensified his training at the quite Chepkorio area, a few kilometers from Kipchoge’s base in Kaptaget, where he trains daily with his training partner Kenneth Kipkemoi, a former Africa 10000m champion and Rotterdam Marathon winner.

“I train daily, I cover 25 kilometers every morning and 13 kilometers later in the afternoon. I also do long runs on Thurdays that see me cover between 35 kilometers to 40 kilometers,” Kiptum told People Sport.

At the Chicago Marathon, Kiptum will come up against reigning champion Benson Kipruto who will be seeking to defend his title which he won last year in a time of 2:04:24. He was also the 2021 Boston Marathon champion.

Four other men in the field have run faster than 2:05, including Bashir Abdi of Belgium, who ran 2:03:36 in Rotterdam in 2021 and won the Olympic bronze medal that year.