Kiptum admits being surprised after breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s record

2023 Chicago Marathon winner Kelvin Kiptum has expressed his astonishment at breaking Eliud Kipchoge's world record.

In a thrilling race, Kiptum clocked an astonishing time of 2:00:35, surpassing Kipchoge's previous mark by a remarkable 34 seconds and becoming the first athlete to complete a record-eligible marathon in under 2:01.

Kiptum reaction

Reacting to the win, he admitted that he was well prepared but breaking the World Record was not on his mind.

"I feel so happy. I was prepared. I knew I was coming for a course record, but fortunately [it was] a world record," Kiptum revealed during a post-race interview.

"A world record was not in my mind today, but I knew one time, one day I'd be a world record holder."

Kiptum's extraordinary achievement came less than six months after his impressive 2:01:25 victory at the London Marathon, which established him as the second-fastest marathon runner in history.

The 23-year-old runner further improved his time by 50 seconds, eclipsing the world record of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin the previous year.

In just his third marathon appearance, Kiptum maintained a relentless pace throughout the 26.2-mile race.

He broke away from a leading group of seven runners after completing the first 5 kilometres in an astonishing 14:26, accompanied only by fellow Kenyan Daniel Mateiko, who was making his marathon debut.

Their pace indicated a world record attempt as they reached the 10-kilometre mark in 28:42, but the pace slightly dropped as they reached the halfway point in 1:00:48.

Kiptum removes hat

Kiptum, who had been running in a hat, decided to shed it as they entered the second half of the race. After passing the 30-kilometre mark in 1:26:31, Kiptum surged forward, leaving Mateiko behind.

Despite glancing over his shoulder occasionally, Kiptum maintained his extraordinary pace with his sights set on not only victory but also the world record.

With an astonishing 5-kilometer split of 13:51, Kiptum reached the 35-kilometer checkpoint in 1:40:22, maintaining sub-2:01 pace and leading Mateiko by 49 seconds.

Kiptum continued to run with incredible determination, reaching the 40-kilometer mark in 1:54:23 after a remarkable 27:52 10-kilometer split. He then accelerated even further, crossing the finish line with an extraordinary time of 2:00:35 on the clock.