Jacob Kiplimo Explains Why He Did Not Break Kelvin Kiptum's World Record at Chicago Marathon

Reigning Chicago Marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo has opened up about whether he wanted to break the late Kelvin Kiptum’s world record.

Jacob Kiplimo, competing in his second marathon, was in world record pace for the better part of the race before slowing down at around the 35km mark.

The Ugandan went ahead to claim top honours in the race, clocking 2:02:23 to cross the finish line ahead of the Kenyan duo of Amos Kipruto and Alex Masai, who clocked 2:03:54 and 2:04:37 respectively.

The world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, survived yet again.

“I think for me, I didn't know that I was inside the world record, but I was just keeping the pace to finish the race well. So, I think the legs were a little bit tired, so I was just maintaining that to finish the race well,” Jacob Kiplimo said during the post-race press conference.

Jacob Kiplimo added that athletes dropping out of the race did not affect him, as he believes that preparing for competition requires accepting challenges and continuing to focus on oneself.

The world half-marathon record holder explained that he was not training to compete against any particular runner, including John Korir, but was concentrating on what he could achieve personally.

Reflecting on his performance, Jacob Kiplimo expressed satisfaction with his results, noting that this was only his second marathon and that he had learned the importance of patience, proper preparation, and building endurance.

He added that while this race had been a learning experience, he expects his approach and experience to evolve in his third marathon.

“I think, actually, for me, they don't affect me because when you are preparing yourself, you need, there are challenges in competition, so you have to accept what has happened, and you just continue to keep going,” Jacob Kiplimo added.

“I knew that it was going to be a strong field. So, I was preparing for myself alone. I was not preparing for someone. I was just coming here to see what I can do.

“I'm happy about my results. This is my second marathon, and I've learned a lot that in a marathon you need to be just patient. It's about how you prepare yourself, how you put the mileage in your body. I think for me it's this one. It's a second one. I know the third one is going to be different again.”

Jacob Kiplimo made his full marathon debut in London, finishing second behind Kenya’s Sabastian, and the race in Chicago was only his second.