Ruth Chepngetich delivered a historic performance at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, shattering the women’s world record with a time of 2:09:56.
This remarkable achievement made her the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier, surpassing the previous record by nearly two minutes.
Chepngetich’s race strategy was aggressive; she maintained a blistering pace, reaching the halfway mark in 1:04:16, the fastest half-marathon split ever recorded on U.S. soil.
Her victory marked her third title in Chicago, and she dedicated her win to the late Kelvin Kiptum, honoring his legacy in marathon running.
Due to her record-setting achievement in Chicago, Chepngetich significantly enhanced her financial standing.
Generally, the leading competitors in both the men’s and women’s divisions are awarded $100,000, which is approximately Ksh12.88 million.
However, the prize money increases for those who establish new records, as the Chicago Marathon typically rewards record-breakers with an additional USD50,000, roughly KSh 6.4 million, for surpassing a course record.
Consequently, Chepngetich is expected to earn more than USD 150,000 or Ksh 19.2 million for her remarkable performance in Chicago.
The Chicago Marathon is recognized as one of the highest-paying marathons globally and is ranked among the top five most lucrative long-distance races, alongside the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, and New York City Marathon.
