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Kenya’s marathon legend Catherine Ndereba has shrugged off any doubts over Ruth Chepngetich’s world record, saying it was bound to happen, and she expects more faster times.
Four-time Boston Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba is not surprised by Ruth Chepngetich’s world record which was set in Chicago this month.
Chepngetich became the first woman to run a sub-2:10 in an official marathon, when she clocked 2:09:56 in Chicago, lowering the 2:11:53 mark of Ethiopian Tigist Assefa, set at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.
While Chepngetich was celebrating her win, there were doubts in some quarters on whether it was a genuine record, with an American journalist even asking the marathon record holder if she had concerns that her record could be questioned as having been fueled by something else.
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However, Ndereba, who also broke a world record in Chicago, does not see anything unique as she believes faster times were on the cards and still expects more in the near future.
“Ruth’s achievement is a historic feat. Not only did she bring the world record back home, but she also opened the doors to greater possibilities for the women’s marathon. I foresee the times getting even faster as more athletes push the limits,” Ndereba told The Star.
“The sub-2:10 barrier was bound to be broken. The women’s marathon has become more competitive over the years.”
Ndereba reflected on her own situation at the turn of the millennium when breaking a sub-2:20 was seen as near impossible before the records tumbled.
Japanese Naoko Takahashi ran an astonishing 2:19:46 at the 2001 Berlin Marathon but the record lasted a few weeks before Ndereba lowered it to 2:18:47 in Chicago and the trend has been going on since.
“I recall in 2001 Naoko Takahashi of Japan had set a new world record which I went on to break a month later. My record did not last long before it was broken. This shows female athletes have been getting more and more competitive,” she added.
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13:32 - 15.10.2024
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After Ndereba’s record, Chicago was the scene for another fast time when Briton Paula Radcliffe ran 2:17:18, breaking the sub 2:18 barrier in 2002, and she would go on to lower her won mark to 2:15:25 in London the following year.
The record lasted 16 years before Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei broke it in Chicago in 2019, running 2:14:04, which also had critics questioning its validity, and she enjoyed the status for four years before Assefa set a new mark in Berlin.
Ndereba, who has won twice in Chicago, says the course in the Windy City makes it suitable for world records, while the technological advancements have also helped athletes run even faster.
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05:32 - 16.10.2024
A look into the Ksh 37,000 shoe that propelled Ruth Chepng'etich to Chicago Marathon win & world record
The shoes were also won by the late Kelvin Kiptum as he shattered the marathon world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
“With the right kind of weather, the Chicago Marathon course is very fast. This is what I have competed in several times and it has witnessed numerous world records,” said Ndereba.
“Technology has played a big part in the world marathon. Athletes can run even faster because of some of the shoes they wear which points to even greater stories and records in the years to come.”
The men’s marathon world record was also set in Chicago after the late Kelvin Kiptum set an incredible 2:00:35 in October 2023.
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