Ruth shatters the women's marathon world record during the Chicago race.
Cherngetich sliced nearly two minutes off the previous global record of 2:11:53, which was established by Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa in September 2023, and clinched her third career victory in Chicago.
Her new record is pending the standard verification process, as stated by World Athletics.
"I feel fantastic. I'm incredibly proud of myself. This was my goal," she stated afterwards, as reported by World Athletics.
"I fought hard, thinking about the world record. The world record is now back in Kenya, and I dedicate this world record to Kelvin Kiptum," she continued, nodding to her compatriot who claimed the men's world record in Chicago last year and met with an unfortunate road accident at the age of 24 in February.
Following her victory, Cherngetich posed for pictures, waved the Kenyan flag triumphantly, and retraced her steps down the finishing stretch, basking in the cheers of the crowd.
She had come close to capturing the world record before, falling just 14 seconds short in Chicago in 2022, but erased memories of that near-miss with a speed this year that only nine men's competitors surpassed.
By the 10-kilometer mark, Cherngetich had already distanced herself from all her opponents, with only Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede able to maintain a faint presence.
Eventually, Kebede finished in second place, recording a time of 2:17:32, a substantial seven minutes behind Cherngetich. Kenya's Irine Cheptai completed the podium in third, trailing behind by another 20 seconds.
In the men's race, Kenya's John Koriri secured the victory, finishing the course in 2:02:43, the second-quickest time in Chicago's history, after Kiptum's world record of 2:00:35 last year.
Ethiopia's Huseydin Mohamed Esa finished in second, over two minutes behind Koriri, and Kenya's Amos Kipruto claimed third place with a time of 2:04:50.
Meanwhile, Switzerland's Marcel Hug successfully defended his men's wheelchair title, finishing in 1:25:54 following a thrilling sprint, and his compatriot Catherine Debrunner set a new course record of 1:36:21 as she dominated the women's race.
Cherngetich's triumph in Chicago cemented her position as one of Kenya's top marathon runners in the sport.After securing the world record, Cherngetich expressed her gratitude towards her compatriot Kiptum, who had met with an unfortunate accident in the sport.
