Another Marathon, another sweep by Kenyan track and field stars. The 47th Chicago Marathon concluded just hours ago and Ruth Chepngetich and John Korir won the women’s and men’s first spots, respectively. While Korir’s second-fastest men’s marathon finish (2:02:44) was a thriller to watch, Chepngetich’s world record time of 2:09:56 was even better. And the 30-year-old sprinter did it all by herself, literally!

Ruth Chepngetich slashed almost two minutes off the existing record of Tigst Assefa in Chicago to become the first female sprinter to run a sub-2:10 in a marathon race. But that’s not the only big news from Sunday.

A post on X by Citius Mag’s Chris Chavez from October 13 shared startling information about how Ruth was coached for the weekend Marathon Major. In Chavez’s social media update, the Kenyan speedster can be heard revealing that she doesn’t have a coach to train under. In the post-race interview, Chepngetich confessed to being self-coached in Ngong, Kenya.

The track star spilled the beans when a person asked her about the coach she’s been working with. Considering the incredible triumph Chepngetich bagged at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, it’s understandable that fans and community members are eager to know about the person behind her success. However, they were both shocked by and in awe of Ruth’s answer. But the long-distance sprinter looked content with the result. “I’m very proud of myself. This is my dream. I fought a lot, thinking about the world record. The world record has come back to Kenya,” she beamed.

Athletics Weekly’s Tim Adams went on to X to vehemently laud  her performance, saying, “Sensational, spectacular and stupendous.” He also noted that this will go down as one of the greatest achievements “in the history of any sports.” Ruth Chepngetich redefined what it means to be fast, shattering the world record and making her the first woman ever to break 2:10:00.

The 30-year-old was flying solo from the start, hitting the half-marathon mark in 1:04:16, on pace for an unreal 2:08:32. Chepngetich’s historic win adds to Chicago’s legacy as the place where records fall, with the top five fastest women’s marathon times now set there. With their stunning wins, Chepngetich and John Korir also reinstated Kenya as a formidable force in long-distance running.

Ruth Chepngetich makes Kenya proud once again, amidst tumultuous times

Ruth Chepngetich dedicated her victory to another Kenyan, who scooped the world record at last year’s Chicago Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum. Kiptum died earlier this year in a car crash on February 11, 2024, with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.”I am dedicating the WR to Kevin Kiptum because maybe he could have defended his title,” Ruth said. Kiptum’s departure only added to the misery that Kenyan track and field is undergoing at the moment.

Earlier this month, 24-year-old Emmaculate Anyango, another long-distance star from Kenya was handed a provision suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after her blood samples showed traces of Testosterone and Erythropoietin (EPO). Naturally, fans weren’t delighted and called for more stringent regulatory directives to be put in place so that such detestable things don’t occur in the future.

Korir beefed up his preparations in recent days with the Chicago Marathon on his mind, and the results came out astonishingly well. Hopefully, Ruth Chepngetich and John Korir’s performance would be enough to help their country forget its troubles temporarily. What do you think Ruth Chepngetich’s feat will do to Kenya’s confidence, especially at times like these? Tell us with a comment below.