A look into the men's marathon world record progression from legendary Paul Tergat to the late Kelvin Kiptum
Kelvin Kiptum’s untimely passing leaves his sub-two-hour marathon goal unfulfilled, but the evolution of marathon times, Kenyan dominance, and technological advancements signal the likelihood of sub-two-hour marathons becoming common.
The men’s marathon has experienced major shifts and if not for the untimely passing of Kelvin Kiptum, the world could have seen a sub-two-hour marathon this year.
The late Kelvin Kiptum had plans to shatter his own world record at the NN Rotterdam Marathon earlier this year but unfortunately, the world might never know the Kenyan’s full potential.
However, with the emergence of super shoes and strong athletes will definitely see the shift in times and very soon, the world might witness runners posting very fast times and sub-two-hour marathons might just be the order of the day.
Kenyans have been so dominant in the long-distance races and out of the nine fastest times from 2003, there is only one Ethiopian who has managed to penetrate through Kenyan dominance. Paul Tergat broke the world record in 2003 and since then, times have changed drastically with the late Kelvin Kiptum now having the world record.
1) Paul Tergat (2003)
It is not a surprise that Paul Tergat paved the way for Kenyan dominance as long as the marathon is concerned. Tergat proved to Kenyans and the whole world at large, that anything is possible and from his performance, marathon running became Kenya’s business.
At the 2003 Berlin Marathon, Paul Tergat clocked a stunning 2:04:55 to win the race and his time was the first world record for the men's marathon ratified by World Athletics.
Haile Gebrselassie threatened Kenya’s dominance in the marathon with his two world records over the distance. He first shattered the world record at the 2007 Berlin Marathon, clocking a stunning 2:04:26 to cross the finish line.
The legendary marathon runner then proceeded to shatter his own world record at the 2008 Berlin Marathon, clocking an impressive 2:03:59 to cross the finish line. However, his reign was not for long as another Kenyan rose to prominence.
The Berlin Marathon seemed to be a suitable course for breaking the world record as Patrick Makau shattered Haile Gebrselassie’s record at the 2011 edition of the event. Makau clocked a blistering 2:03:38 to cross the finish line.
Another Kenyan, Wilson Kipsang proceeded to shatter Patrick Makau’s world record at the 2013 Berlin Marathon. Wilson Kipsang clocked a stunning 2:03:23 to cross the finish line in one of the most historic showdowns.
Wilson Kipsang’s world record did not stay for long as a year later, Dennis Kimetto completely destroyed the record, becoming the first man to clock under two hours and three minutes to win a marathon.
Competing at the 2014 Berlin Marathon, Dennis Kimetto clocked 2:02:57 to win the race with his world record being one of the most long-standing records before Eliud Kipchoge’s rise to the top.
6) Eliud Kipchoge
In his prime, Eliud Kipchoge was undoubtedly one of the most consistent marathon runners and it was just a matter of when he would break the world record.
Eliud Kipchoge made his dream a reality at the 2018 edition of the Berlin Marathon where he clocked an astonishing 2:01:39 to cross the finish line and take top honours in the race, becoming the first man to clock under two hours and two minutes.
Eliud Kipchoge was not done with his dominant exploits as he proceeded to claim top honours at the 2022 Berlin Marathon in a new world record time of 2:01:09.
7) Kelvin Kiptum
The late Kelvin Kiptum was a rare talent and he would be the one to define marathon running following his resilience and hard work. In his debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum clocked the fastest time ever by a debutant. He crossed the finish line in a time of 2:01:53.
The world class marathoner then proceeded to claim the win at the London Marathon, clocking a personal best time and the second-fastest time then. He clocked 2:01:25 for a win.
Kelvin Kiptum was not done writing history as he shattered Eliud Kipchoge’s world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. He clocked 2:00:35 to win the race and before his demise, Kiptum was actually looking to run under two hours in the 42km distance.
posted Wednesday October 30th
by Abigael Wafula