On Oct. 8, Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptum shattered the Men’s World Record after tearing through the finish line in the Chicago Marathon. The young Kenyan athlete clocked in at 2 hours and 35 seconds, breaking the prior world record of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds.
Approximately 47,000 participants took on the 26.2-mile route in Chicago’s Grant Park. It is said to be one of the six World Marathon Majors. It is the fourth-largest race by number of finishers worldwide. Enticingly, the top 5 runners win prize money. Big prize money.
The Chicago Marathon wasn’t just a big success for world record breaker Kelvin Kiptum, thousands of runners accomplished overcoming a huge milestone of running 26 miles. Now, they can look back on their experience as an unforgettable memory in their life. Participating in a marathon is an unforgettable experience. D219 faculty attest to the unforgettable experience.
“Less than one percent of the population runs the marathon,” Niles North World Languages teacher Lizabeth Roman said. “It’s an experience if you want to accomplish it, it’s very doable, and you can accomplish it if you want to do it in your life. You can never compare to it. It’s something that is a huge accomplishment and all hard work paid off.”
Though Roman has run in 5k’s and 10k’s, some D219 staff ran this year’s marathon for the first time.
“The perfect day with so much energy and positivity,” Niles West Mathematics Instructor Hetal Shah said about running her first marathon. “First time running in a layout that was amazing. The spectators were keeping the energy up with music, food, drinks, and fun signs keeping you motivated. Anyone can do it, keeping an open mind and knowing it’s all in your head.”
Niles North Social Studies Instructor Mary Richards agrees that running a marathon is possible for anyone.
“Chicago has great energy as you run through the different neighborhoods,” Richards said. “It’s great to see all the energy. If you train for it, it’ll definitely be doable. Getting through the race is all mental.”
According to reports, Kiptum won $100,000 for winning the 2023 Chicago Marathon. It is possible that he will receive $50,000 extra for setting a world record. Along with his win, Keptium became the only man in the entire world to complete a marathon under the two-hour and one-minute mark, at the ripe age of 23 years old.
Kiptum has spent years preparing and training for marathons around the world. Kiptum made his international debut at the Lisbon Half Marathon in Portugal back in 2019, where he completed the race in fifth place with a PR time of 59 minutes and 54 seconds.
Following, In Dec. 2020, Kiptum completed the Valencia Half Marathon in Spain in sixth place. He set yet another PR at this race finishing at 58 minutes and 42 seconds.
Keptium made his marathon debut in Dec. 2022 at the Valencia Marathon in Spain. He triumphantly won his debut marathon race clocking in at two hours, one minute, and 53 seconds. During his debut race, Kiptum became the third man in history to compete in a marathon within two hours and two minutes, following stars Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele.
