Kelvin Kiptum Breaks Course Record in London Marathon Win

Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum put on a dominant display in the 2023 London Marathon, breaking the course record previously held by Eliud Kipchoge.

The 23-year-old finished with a time of 2:01:25, the second-fastest marathon time in history. Kiptum had previously shocked the running world by winning the 2022 Valencia Marathon in a time of 2:01:53, which was only bettered by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele and the legendary Kipchoge.

Kiptum’s victory in London proved that his win in Valencia was no fluke, as he took almost three minutes off the course record, lowering it from 2:02:37 to 2:01:25. This time also surpassed Bekele’s previous second-fastest marathon time in history of 2:01:41.

The Kenyan pulled away from his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor shortly after the 30km mark, leaving him in second place with a new personal best time of 2:04:23. Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola completed the podium places.

Kiptum had the world record in his sights but fell short by just 18 seconds, missing out on Kipchoge’s time of 2:01:09. Nonetheless, Kiptum’s performance was nothing short of outstanding, cementing his place among the greatest marathon runners of all time.

The defending champion Amos Kipruto was unable to defend his title, finishing outside the top ten. Meanwhile, Bekele was forced to withdraw from the race before the finish line.

Kiptum’s win in London smashed the marathon course record, earning him a brilliant victory in the capital city. His time of 2hrs 01mins 27secs is the fastest ever in London and the second-fastest of all time, trailing only behind Kipchoge’s world record effort of 1hr 59mins 40secs in Vienna in 2019.