Chepng’etich, Kipruto, Jebet named in World Athletics awards shortlist
Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya poses for a photo with the time clock after finishing first in the women’s race, setting a new world record at 2:09:56 during the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park on October 13, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Chepng’etich, who took away nearly two minutes off Ethiopian Tigst Assefa's previous world record, made history as the first woman to run a marathon under two hours and 10 minutes.
- “Such a great feeling since I can’t remember when I was last nominated for the award,” said Chepng’etich. “It’s a great honour and I am grateful. I appeal to my fans in the country and across the world to vote for me and other Kenyan athletes,” said Chepng’etich.
Three Kenyans have been nominated for the 2024 World Athletics Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year Awards.
World marathon record holder Ruth Chepng’etich and 10-kilometre road world record holder Agnes Jebet Ng’etich have been shortlisted in the women's category, while Paris Olympic Games bronze medallist Benson Kipruto has made the cut in the men's section.
The vote to determine the winners is on World Athletics' social media platforms. It will close on November 3 with the winners being declared during the World Athletics Gala in December in Monaco.
Chepng’etich unleashed a performance for the ages as she obliterated the women’s marathon world record in Chicago, taking nearly two minutes off the previous best to triumph in two hours, 09 minutes, and 56 seconds on October 13 this year.
Chepng’etich went for the kill at the halfway mark as she swept through the cheering crowd in the final straight to claim her third title in Chicago after 2021(2:22:31) and 2022 (2:14:18) exploits.
Chepng’etich, who took away nearly two minutes off Ethiopian Tigst Assefa's previous world record, made history as the first woman to run a marathon under two hours and 10 minutes.
“Such a great feeling since I can’t remember when I was last nominated for the award,” said Chepng’etich. “It’s a great honour and I am grateful. I appeal to my fans in the country and across the world to vote for me and other Kenyan athletes,” said Chepng’etich.
Ng’etich set a world record for the 10km in a mixed-gender race when winning the Valencia 10km on January 14, smashing Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw's previous time of 29:14 set at Castellón 10km, Spain in 2022 by 28 seconds.
Ng'etich's performance was faster than Letesenbet Gidey’s 10,000 m world record of 29:01.03.
Ng’etich also improved the world record for the 5km run by a woman in a mixed-gender race as she went through the 5km checkpoint in 14:13, six seconds faster than the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye (14:19) in 2021.
Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m champion, Beatrice Chebet broke Gidey’s 10,000m world record when she won the Prefontaine Classic in 28:54.14 on May 25 this year, making history as the first woman to run under 29 minutes.
Chebet has been nominated for the Women’s Track Athlete of the Year award.
