Sifan Hassan shocked the world in her U.S. marathon debut Sunday, setting an unofficial course record in the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and beating two-time defending champion Ruth Chepngetich.
Hassan outpaced Chepngetich during the latter stages of the race, stunning a runner who came achingly-close to setting a world record in winning last year's Chicago Marathon.
"Just so grateful. I'm so happy," she said at the finish line. "But the last 5 kilometers I was telling myself never again."
Hassan, of the Netherlands, made her marathon debut in London last April and won with a national record, despite stopping twice to stretch.
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Hassan won this year’s London Marathon by finishing in 2:18:33. Her win set the Dutch national record of the fastest women’s marathon time.
While she did not stretch on the Chicago course, she managed to race her way to a victory with an unofficial time of 2:13:44, topping the course record of 2:14:04, which was set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019 and was a world record at the time.
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The new world record, which was just set in Berlin ahead of the Chicago race, sits at 2:11:53.
The two-time Olympic medalist and three-time world champion, one of the most accomplished distance running stars, made her American debut in the Chicago race. She said she chose to make her U.S. debut in Chicago because she heard it was a "beautiful city."
Check back for more on this developing story.
