“Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce motivates me"- When Chicago Marathon Champion Ruth Chepng'etich spoke on looking up to the Jamaican athlete

Ruth Chepng'etich made history on Sunday at the Chicago Marathon when she reset the world record and became the first woman to dip under the two hours and ten minutes mark. Opening up about the reason why she pushes so hard, the Kenyan had once called Jamaican sprinting great Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce her inspiration.

Chepng'etich has long since been one of the most promising runners in the women's marathon pool. She was crowned World Champion in 2019 and was the gold medalist at the 2021 and 2022 Chicago Marathon. She also has a London Marathon bronze to her name, as well as a runner-up finish in Chicago last year.

Earlier this year, in a discussion with Athletics Weekly, Ruth Chepng'etich called sprinting great Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce her inspiration, saying,

“Shelly Ann (Fraser-Pryce), she motivates me, inspires me, to do a lot. Shelly Ann, I think she started a long time ago, before me, so I'm following (in) her footsteps. Like her, I want to run for long, run smart, and fall and get up.”

She also added that she was motivated by her daughter, who pushed her to work harder.

“I think about my daughter, I am pushing so much because of my daughter. My daughter is motivating me to work harder. I have to work hard for her to study. Mothers have a lot to do, so it is not easy. Our children are motivating us to work harder. We want to show them the way in how life goes.”

Ruth Chepng'etich on her world record run at the Chicago Marathon

Ruth Chepngetich on her victory in Chicago (Image Source: Getty)

For Ruth Chepng'etich, her run at the Chicago Marathon began at an incredible pace, and Tigst Assefa’s world record of 2:11:53 looked well within striking distance. The Kenyan lived up to the early race hype, finishing her race in a blistering 2:09:56 to become the first woman under the 2:10:00 mark.

Speaking after the race, Chepng'etich said she was proud of herself and dedicated her victory to the late Kelvin Kiptum, who set a men's world record at the Chicago Marathon last year.

“I feel so great, I'm proud of myself. This is my dream that has come true. I've fought a lot, thinking about the world record and I have fulfilled it. The weather was perfect and I was well prepared. The world record was in my mind. The world record has come back to Kenya, and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum.”

Ruth Chepng'etich’s Chicago Marathon time is yet to be ratified by World Athletics and will be considered an official world record once confirmed by the association.