Read 4 minutes

It is often said, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”. It means that even if one fails to meet their ultimate objective, they will likely still achieve something significant during their pursuit of a big, ambitious goal.

Kenyan long distance runner and marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum found out that saying can hold true but also spur one on to even greater things.

Kiptum came into the 2023 Chicago Marathon aiming to break the course record of 2:03:45 set by compatriot Dennis Kimetto, also a former world record holder, in 2013. This may have been Kiptum’s third marathon but it was easy to see why he set that target.

Each of his first two marathons had seen him write his name in the record books.

In his first race, the Valencia Marathon in December last year, Kiptum set the fastest debut in history with a time of 2:01:53. His second race at the London Marathon in April saw him set a new course record and the second-fastest time in history, 16 seconds outside compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s world record. Kipchoge had set a time of 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon last year.

So, it could be done. There was hope. But in the 23-year-old’s own words, he had prepared well for the race but it was not easy and some of the elements threatened to unhinge his efforts.

“The cold troubled us for a while after 20, 21 kilometres. It was a challenge. Towards the halfway mark and past, up to 30 kilometres, at least, it was slightly better,” Kiptum told CGTN Africa in an interview in Nairobi after arriving from the United States.

Halfway into the marathon, Kiptum was well outside world record pace clocking 1:00:48. But he picked up the pace and, with about 10km to go, he suddenly believed he could achieve something special. However, the marathon world record was still not among his thoughts.

“After 30, 32, 33 (kilometres), that is when I thought I can target the course record because I saw the projection of the time. I was on time.”

With every passing second, Kiptum surged along the course powering through the second half of the marathon in a negative split of 59:47 to shatter Kipchoge’s record.

It was also the first time in 23 years that the men’s world record had been set at the Chicago Marathon. Moroccan-born American runner Khalid Khannouchi did so in 1999 in a time of 2:05:42.

Kiptum said he was elated before the end of the race knowing well that he exceeded expectations, also becoming the first person to run a marathon  in under 2:01 in an officially sanctioned competition.

“I was looking at the clock in front of me. I knew I was within world record time and I will break it. I felt good,” Kiptum said.

But, there would not have been a new marathon world record to write about as Kiptum contemplated canceling his participation just a week before the race due to illness. However, his coach Gervais Hakizimana urged him to take some time and recover before making a final decision.

“I was in Nairobi when he told me he was calling off his participation but I told him not to cancel and after two days he recovered and we left. Getting there he told me the world record was going to fall or at least he would come close to it,” Hakizimana said.

Kiptum’s achievements have created a huge buzz with many looking forward to a potential showdown with Kipchoge at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

However, for now, Kiptum does not want to be drawn into any challenges and simply wants to take a back seat before planning for any future races.

“I am going to take a break, rest a little bit, talk with my management on how I will race in the coming year, 2024, that is my plan for now.”

Kiptum definitely “landed on the moon” but also earned himself the right to be called a star. He undoubtedly achieved something greater than his initial objective and is almost certainly going to win more accolades. By his own admission, if he trains well and is healthy, he can run a marathon in under two hours. Not only is time is on his side but, more importantly, his self-belief is stronger, now more than ever.

CGTN Africa’s Muturi Kaibere contributed to this report.