Chicago: Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei shattered Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old women’s marathon world record Sunday, winning the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 4 seconds.
Kosgei broke the mark of 2:15.25 set by Radcliffe in the London Marathon on April 13, 2003.
The feat came one day after Kosgei’s compatriot Eliud Kipchoge broke the mythical two-hour barrier for the men’s marathon on a specially prepared course in a huge Vienna park.
With a time of 1:59.40.2, the Olympic champion became the first ever to run a marathon in under two hours but the time will not stand as a world record due to him using pacemen and was helped by a pace car on the track.
Kosgei, the 25-year-old who won the London Marathon in April and clocked the fastest half-marathon in history this year of 1:04.28, quickly separated herself from the women's field as she ran with two male pace-setters.
She crossed the finish line alone, with Ethiopians Ababel Yeshaneh and Gelete Burka a distant second and third in 2:20.51 and 2:20.55.
Kenya's Lawrence Cherono won a men's race that came down to the wire in 2:05.45 - barely edging Ethiopia's Dejene Debela who was second in 2:05.46 with Ethiopian Asefa Mengstu third in 2:05.48.
Last year's winner Mo Farah of Britain finished a distant eighth in 2:09.58.
