CHICAGO, USA— Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei of Kenya established a world record by winning the elite 2019 women group runner at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday.
Kosgei won with a time of two hours 14 minutes and four seconds, outpacing the previous world mark by 81 seconds.
Kosgei set a time exceeding a minute faster than the all-time record of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe in the 2003 London Marathon.
She also improved on her previous best record of 2:18:20 set earlier this year in the London Marathon.
“When I was going, I feel my body is moving, moving, moving, and so I tried to go,” Kosgei said.
“I’m feeling good, and I am happy because I was not expected to run like this,” Kosgei said during a TV interview.
Another Kenyan, Lawrence Cherono, outsprinted his two Ethiopian competitors to win the men’s race in 2:05:45. After the final turn, he pulled ahead of Dejene Debela (2:05:46) for the win. Asefa Mengstu finished third (2:05:48).
In April this year, Cherono also used a strong kick to win the Boston Marathon (2:07:57). The current victory marked his eighth career marathon win.
“All of a sudden, when we reach 41 kilometers, the (other runners) were not going again,” he said. “I decided to kick and felt I was still having enough energy to sprint. I tried my luck, and it worked.”
