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World Record Holder Ruth Chepngetich Eye Greater Heights At London Marathon 2025
“The London Marathon always brings together the best athletes in the world,” said Ruth Chepngetich.
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Women’s world record holder Ruth Chepngetich is set to take part in the London Marathon on 27 April.
The Kenyan, 30, ran the fastest time in history by a female athlete at the Chicago Marathon in October, clocking two hours, nine minutes and 57 seconds.
Chepngetich broke the record of Ethiopian Tigst Assefa by nearly two minutes and became the first woman to run a marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes.
“The London Marathon always brings together the best athletes in the world,” said Ruth Chepngetich.
“I didn’t know (setting the world record in Chicago) was possible but I came to realise that dreams can come true.”
At the London Marathon, Chepngetich will be accompanied by Dutch Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and compatriot Peres Jepchirchir, who holds the women-only marathon world record.
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Peres clocked a time of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds in London last year where, unlike the Chicago Marathon, women run alongside the men rather than in a separate race.
“Myself, Peres and the other women are strong so it will be a competitive one,” added Chepngetich.
“I want to prepare as best I can and we will see if we can lower Peres’ world record. With the strength of the field, I think we can support each other and maybe the world record will fall.”
Also Read: Fastest Marathon Courses In The World
In the men’s field, Tamirat Tola, who is among the few athletes to have won world and Olympic titles, is set to run in the London Marathon 2025. The Ethiopian clinched the world title in 2022 in a championship record of 2:05:36, then won the Olympic gold in Paris two years later in a Games record of 2:06:26.
The 33-year-old has contested the London Marathon three times withhis best result being his third-place finish in 2023.
“Winning the Paris Olympic Marathon was the greatest moment of my running career but I don’t want it to be my last great moment,” said Tola, who also won the 2023 New York Marathon and 2021 Amsterdam Marathon. “I want to continue competing for the biggest titles in this sport and the TCS London Marathon is very much one of those. I know that London always brings the best marathon racers in the world together so it will not be easy, but it is my ambition to win this historic race for the first time in April.”
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