Women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich is optimistic a new world record could be set in the Britain’s capital during the London Marathon.
The 30-year-old Chepngetich set the current world record and became the first woman to run under two hours and 10 minutes with a winning time of 2:09:56 in Chicago. The previous world record was set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in 2023 in Berlin.
Fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir holds the women’s-only marathon world record with a time of 2:16:16, set in the 2024 London Marathon. Unlike the Chicago Marathon, where women race alongside men, the London event features a separate elite women’s race.
The three-times Chicago Marathon winner and 2019 world champion Chepngetich will face former London champion and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and defending champion Jepchirchir.
Three-times Olympic gold medalist Hassan won her marathon debut on the London course with a time of 2:18:33 in 2023, and Chepngetich believes the strong field in London could see a new world record set.
“London Marathon always brings together the best athletes in the world… Myself, Peres and the other women are strong, so it will be a competitive one,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
“I want to prepare as best as I can and we will see if we can lower Peres’s world record of 2:16:16 from last year. With the strength of the field, I think we can support each other and maybe the world record will fall,” she added.
Chepngetich pointed out that setting her world record fete in Chicago gave her confidence that everything is possible.
The London Marathon takes place on 27 April.
