Chicago Marathon 2025: Moment When Jacob Kiplimo Let World Record Slip Away

Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo dominated the men's field in the Chicago Marathon Sunday delivering a commanding performance that reaffirmed his status as one of the greatest distance runners of his generation. 

In just his second marathon, Kiplimo stormed to victory in 2:02:23, a performance that ranks him seventh on the all-time list and makes him only the second Ugandan ever to win in Chicago. 

Through the first 30 kilometres, his precision, composure, and courage echoed the rhythm of Kelvin Kiptum’s historic 2023 run. But where Kiptum had accelerated, Kiplimo faltered ever so slightly, and that small lapse became the difference between glory and immortality.

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At 5km, Kiplimo clocked 13:58 — 28 seconds faster than Kiptum’s opening split. By 10km, he was still marginally ahead, moving smoothly in 28:25 compared to Kiptum’s 28:42. 

The pack looked controlled, and Kiplimo appeared serene, gliding through each stride with the confidence of a man destined for something special.

 The half marathon mark told the story perfectly: 1:00:16, exactly 32 seconds faster than Kiptum at the same point. The projections were electrifying — he was on pace for 2:00:31, four seconds under the standing world record.

But marathons are battles of patience as much as power. Between 25km and 35km — the stretch that separates contenders from champions — Kiptum had once unleashed his devastating surge, covering the 10km span in a blistering 28:18. 

That was where Kiptum’s legend was born, pushing himself deeper into the unknown. Kiplimo, in contrast, maintained rhythm rather than attacking. 

His 25–30km segment (14:19) was solid but not historic; his 30–35km stretch (14:21) showed the first hints of fatigue. It was precisely there that the world record began to slip from his grasp.

By 35km, Kiplimo was still on a projected pace of 2:00:47 — tantalizingly close to the mark. Yet as he entered the final seven kilometres, the fatigue that had been quietly building began to speak louder. 

The head tilt grew heavier, his cadence fractionally slower. The 35–40km split told the full story: 15:18, nearly a minute slower than Kiptum’s 14:01 in 2023. 

When he crossed the line in 2:02:23, there was no disappointment on his face — just exhaustion and quiet acceptance. He had conquered the field but lost the fight with time. 

"I just wanted to run my personal best," he said later, almost as if to console himself. But deep down, every competitor knows what that moment means — the recognition that perfection had been within reach.

Jacob Kiplimo’s Chicago triumph was majestic, but it was also a reminder of how narrow the line is between great and immortal. 

He had matched Kiptum for 30 kilometres, surpassed him through half the race, and yet when it mattered most — in that merciless final stretch — he was human after all. 

The world record slipped away not because of weakness, but because of the cost of ambition. 

And though his 2:02:23 stands as a personal best and national triumph, it will forever carry the echo of what might have been.