ICNX
Ruth Chepng'etich

Marathon · Kenya

Ruth
Chepng'etich

World Record
2World Record
World Champion
1World Champion
1Title
Never Been Done
1Never Been Done
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Photo: Foto: Chicago Street Life on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

No woman had run a marathon under 2:10. She ran 2:09:56.

About Ruth

Ruth Chepng'etich is a Kenyan marathon runner and the 2019 world champion over the distance. On 13 October 2024 she won the Chicago Marathon in 2:09:56, breaking the world record and becoming the first woman to run a marathon under 2:10. In October 2025 the Athletics Integrity Unit imposed a three-year ban after a positive test for hydrochlorothiazide from a sample collected on 14 March 2025; because the disqualification window begins on that date, her world record and earlier results stand.

The moments

Iconic
achievements

World Champion
2019

Chepng'etich Wins Marathon Gold in Midnight Heat

Chepng'etich claimed marathon gold in 2:32:43 during the championships' first midnight start, enduring 32.7 °C and 73% humidity. Only 40 of 68 starters reached the finish.

World Record
2021

Chepng'etich Sets Half Marathon World Record at 1:04:02

Chepng'etich clocked 1:04:02 for a women's half marathon world record, ratified by World Athletics. The mark stood until Letesenbet Gidey surpassed it later that year.

Title
2021

Chepng'etich Wins First of Three Chicago Titles

Chepng'etich crossed the line in Chicago in 2:22:31, claiming the first of what would become three titles at the marathon.

World Record
2024

Chepng'etich Breaks Marathon World Record With 2:09:56

Chepng'etich ran 2:09:56, cutting 1:57 off the marathon world record. World Athletics ratified the mark in December 2024, and it still stands.

Never Been Done
2024

Chepng'etich First Woman to Break 2:10 Marathon

Chepng'etich became the first woman to run a marathon in under 2 hours 10 minutes, crossing a barrier no woman had approached before.

The record

  1. 2019Chepng'etich Wins Marathon Gold in Midnight HeatWorld Champion
  2. 2021Chepng'etich Sets Half Marathon World Record at 1:04:02World Record
  3. 2021Chepng'etich Wins First of Three Chicago TitlesTitle
  4. 2024Chepng'etich Breaks Marathon World Record With 2:09:56World Record
  5. 2024Chepng'etich First Woman to Break 2:10 MarathonNever Been Done