"It should be 10-11% percent slower than Kelvin Kiptum's record" - Former Boston Marathon winner questions Ruth Chepngetich's WR run in Chicago

Former Boston Marathon winner Amby Burfoot has questioned Ruth Chepngetich's performance at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. This comes just a few days after the Kenyan marathon runner won her third Chicago Marathon on Sunday (October 13).

Chepngetich clocked a run-time of 2:09:56, overtaking the previous world record of 2:11:53 by Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

Following this performance, former marathon runner Burfoot, who currently serves as a news editor for Marathon Handbook, slated his reasons for raising questions over Chepngetich's performance at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

In his column, he claimed as per data that being a female runner, Ruth Chepngetich's run-time should have been 10-11% slower when compared to the current men's marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum's run-time (2:00:35). But it was 7.75% in case of Chepngetich's victory at the 2024 Chicago event.

He said (via Marathon Handbook):

"First, let’s look at the comparative data. Chepngetich’s performance is only about 7.75% slower than Kelvin Kiptum’s men’s marathon world record. It should be 10 to 11% slower."

He added:

"On Sunday, the Chepngetich knocked almost five minutes off her previous best. That sort of improvement just doesn’t happen after clearly peaking, as she has at this point in her career."

Burfoot is a former marathon runner and won the Boston Marathon in 1968 after clocking a run-time of 2:22:17. He also also participated in numerous other marathon events, such as the Fukuoka Marathon and the Manchester Road Race.

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Ruth Chepngetich opens up after her impressive performance at the 2024 Chicago Marathon

Ruth Chepngetich after breaking the Women's half-marathon world record at Istanbul (Image: Getty Images)

Ruth Chepngetich opened up after her victory at the 2024 Chicago Marathon on Sunday.

In an interview with the Associated Press after her victory at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, Chepngetich expressed her joy in bringing back the marathon world record to Kenya.

She also mentioned that her performance was a tribute to Kelvin Kiptum, who passed away in February. She said:

"The world record has come back to Kenya. I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum."

Chepngetich has had a strong track record in this 2024 track and field season. Besides winning the Chicago event on Sunday, the Kenyan clinched the top podium finish at the 21K Buenos Aires Half Marathon.