RUTH CHEPNGETICH: ANALYSIS OF THE 2024 CHICAGO MARATHON WORLD RECORD

Abstract

This article presents an important sporting milestone that occurred a few months ago in Chicago (USA). For the first time in history, a woman has broken the 2:10 barrier in the marathon. This mark is an important and significant time for any male marathon specialist. Kenyan athlete Ruth Chepngetich was the architect of this achievement. This article analyzes how she achieved such a fantastic time: her 5 km split times; her intermediate half marathon split times; her 5 km split times in the second half marathon and her loss of speed in these final stretches; and a comparison of her 5 km, 10 km, half marathon, and marathon pace times with her previous personal bests at these distances. Her athletic history and development over the years are also analyzed. Finally, a set of factors that intervene and affect sports performance are analyzed, which allow us to explain the result obtained, and which aim to help reflect on what this milestone means and the circumstances in which it occurred.