Kelvin Kiptum confident ahead of the Chicago Marathon 2023 and beyond: "I can run 2:00"
In an interview with Olympics.com, Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum shares how fast he plans to run his third career marathon in Chicago, and the race for Eliud Kipchoge's world record. The race will be broadcast live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com on Sunday 8 October.
Athletics
There’s a quiet confidence about Kelvin Kiptum, the youngest marathoner to have run under 2:02:00.
Not since the late Samuel Wanjiru has there been so much focus on a budding male marathoner as there has been on the Kenyan, who became one of the youngest winners of the London Marathon in April.
The 23-year-old raced to a London course record of two hours, one minute and 25 seconds, the second-fastest time in history and just 16 seconds shy of Eliud Kipchoge’s world record.
Last December, at his first marathon, the 2022 Valencia Marathon, Kiptum raced to the fastest debut in history.
Two great runs that breed belief that the self-coached marathoner is likely to be the one to rewrite the history books.
Kiptum lines up for the Chicago Marathon on Sunday 8 October against the defending champion Benson Kipruto, with no prior record plans, at least ‘for now’.
“When I have trained well, and I am healthy, I can run 2:00,” he tells Olympics.com from his training base in Chepkorio, Kenya, ahead of the race that will be broadcast live on Olympic Channel through Olympics.com and the official Olympics app (territorial restrictions may apply).
“The world record is not in the plan for now, but in the future I know I can run 2:00 or something like that.”
Kelvin Kiptum on skipping a track career and his love for the roads
Growing up in Chepkorio, in Elgeyo Marakwet county, the young Kiptum knew how his career plans would go. He would run for his country some day and win some great races.
Understandably so. He grew up surrounded by some of Kenya’s great runners and had seen some of his village mates win races on TV.
The youngster would watch and admire the runners trotting along the sidewalks for their morning runs on his way to school.
He longed to join them as he dreamed of a running career for himself and becoming one of the world’s best like his village mate Geoffrey Kamworor, a double New York Marathon winner.
He began indulging in his passion as a 13-year-old and happily found his spot in one of the village running groups. Likewise, the teenager enjoyed how the runners pushed each other through the gruelling training runs – a routine that stuck with him.
Kiptum soon hit his stride, winning the 2018 Eldoret Half Marathon when he was only 18. But why did he not consider a track career first?
“This is where I grew up and there were always athletes running around my home. So when I started training, it was with the marathoners and road racers, and I just found myself running road races so young. Then again, where I train there are no tracks,” he says in the interview with Olympics.com.
“I didn’t have the money to travel to Eldoret or go to Kipchoge Keino stadium to do some track sessions.”
The inability to commute to the nearest track in Eldoret 40km away, enabled him to fully step into the role as a roadrunner. In some of his first races abroad in 2019, Kiptum won a half-marathon in France and finished second in a 10k in the Netherlands.
“In fact, by that time I was already training for the marathon, but I didn’t have a chance to run the marathon,” he offers.
“I told myself, let me wait for another two or three years, then I run the marathon.”
Kiptum targets course record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon
And when he finally made the big races, he confidently settled into the marathon environment, where he showed his huge potential.
He won his first marathon last December in Valencia, timing 2:01:53, the third-fastest time in history.
“Valencia was a perfect race,” says Kiptum who was relatively unknown in the marathon community until then.
“It was the start of the marathon journey, and I was so happy. My target in Valencia was to run 2:04, 2:05…. then I ran 2:01. But looking back before Valencia I had had some of my best training for the marathon with some good long runs.”
He improved his personal best in London to 2:01:25, a run that confirmed his marathon pedigree.
“I was planning to run a good race and win but I didn’t expect to run that fast,” he says modestly.
Kiptum declined an invitation to run for Team Kenya in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, because he had other big plans. There was talk of a world record – a head-to-head race – with Kipchoge who won his fifth Berlin Marathon title on 24 September.
“My plan was to run Chicago all along, and I was never planning to go to Berlin. I wanted to run Chicago and then maybe next year go to Berlin,” he clarifies.
Kipchoge’s 2:02:42 winning time this year fell short of his 2:01:09 world record from last year, a time that Kiptum, who still prefers to self-train with his small running group of about six athletes in Chepkorio, could just beat on Sunday.
“I have trained really well for Chicago, and I know that Chicago is fast, but I am just looking forward to testing the course. I trust myself and my target is to just run a good race and run under the course record.”
Chicago is a fairly flat course and has been the venue where five – two men and three women – world records have been set. American Khalid Khannouchi was the last man to run a world record in Chicago of 2:05:42 in 1999, while Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei set the women’s world record (2:14:04) a decade later.
The men’s course record of 2:03:45 set by compatriot Dennis Kimetto, has stood since 2013.
“It’s very possible to run 2:00. It may not be now as I am still young,” continues Kiptum who is clearly not experienced enough to know what can’t be done and feels surrounded by endless opportunities.
Kiptum's on his big plans for 2024: "I am dreaming of the Paris Olympics"
Kipchoge’s sub two-hour marathon served as a strong motivation and most recently, Ethiopian Tigst Assefa women's world record that lowered Kosgei's mark by over two minutes to 2 hours, 11 minutes, 53 seconds.
“The Berlin marathon women running a sub 2:11- pushed the barrier. They really motivated me, and it means we must also now work harder and run faster.”
But why are we seeing such fast times in the marathon?
“There is definitely self-motivation and everybody trying to do their best. Having younger athletes running the marathon, I think that helps too,” says the runner who ran the two fastest second halves in marathon history.
“There’s also the good training aspect and the technology of the shoe is coming up. All these factors help a lot.”
“I want to run Chicago and then maybe next year go to Berlin.
“But I am dreaming of the Paris Olympics. If I get a chance to be selected by the selectors, I’ll be thankful and I’ll go there and try to win a medal.”
Chicago Marathon 2023: How to watch live on Olympics.com
This year’s Chicago Marathon will be broadcast live on Olympic Channel through Olympics.com and the official Olympics app (territorial restrictions may apply) on Sunday 8 October.
The broadcast runs from 7:15-10:00 local Chicago time (12:15-15:00 UTC).
Find more information about how to watch the race here.