Kelvin Kiptum in Rotterdam (© Golazo Sports)
Just weeks after breaking the world record in Chicago, Kelvin Kiptum has already set his sights on a revision of the mark when he lines up for the NN Rotterdam Marathon – a World Athletics Gold Label road race – on 14 April 2024.
Kiptum is somewhat familiar with the Dutch city, having been a pacemaker at the 2019 Rotterdam Marathon. He had intended to make his marathon debut there in 2022, but injuries prevented his participation.
Kelvin Kiptum (centre, 52) at the 2019 Rotterdam Marathon (© AFP / Getty Images)
He went on to make his marathon debut in Valencia later that year, running a stunning 2:01:53. He improved on that with his 2:01:25 triumph in London earlier this year, and then made history in Chicago last month with his 2:00:35 world record.
“I want to return here to run fast,” Kiptum said at a recent press conference for Rotterdam. “This flat course lends itself to fast times and the enthusiastic masses of people along the road push us forward. I would like to be part of the rich history of this marathon.
Kelvin Kiptum runs a world record of 2:00:35 to win the Chicago Marathon (© Getty Images)
“I’ll try at least to beat my world record here,” he added. “I know I’m capable of doing that, if my preparation works out well and the conditions are OK. And in that case, I will get close to the two-hour barrier, so why not aim to break it? That might look ambitious, but I’m not afraid of setting this kind of goals. There’s no limit to human energy.”
Rotterdam is no stranger to barrier-breaking world records. In 1985 Carlos Lopes became the first man to run a sub-2:08 marathon, clocking 2:07:12. Three years later, Belayneh Dinsamo broke the 2:07 barrier with 2:06:50, a world record that stood for 10 years. And in Rotterdam in 1998, Tegla Loroupe became the first woman to break 2:21, breaking Ingrid Kristiansen’s long-standing world record with 2:20:47.
