In October, Ruth Chepngetich retained her Bank of America Chicago Marathon crown while recording the second-fastest time ever! It was a stunning performance from the Kenyan who exploded out of the blocks from the very start, racing into an early lead with a pace that was well inside that of Brigid Kosgei’s world record time on the same course back in 2019. Despite a gallant effort, she finished just 14 seconds short of breaking that barrier. All eyes will now be on next year’s calendar when the 2:14 barrier could well be breached.
However, while this feat may seem a distinct possibility, the identity of who might break it is very much open as this season has shown that the standard of the women’s elite field is as high as it has ever been. In 6 Majors races, we saw 6 different winners along with 2-course records, while also 4 of the fastest-ever marathon times have been set in 2022.
2023 promises to be the most competitive year yet!
