Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old women’s marathon world record has been broken by Brigid Kosgei.
The Kenyan ran the 26.2-mile course in two hours, 14 minutes and four seconds to retain her Chicago Marathon title.
Her time was one minute and 21 seconds quicker than Radcliffe managed in April 2003.
Kosgei, 25, went through the halfway point of the race in one hour, six minutes and 59 seconds and barely fell off the pace as she pressed on.
Radcliffe was present to congratulate Kosgei at the finish, with her record beaten by well over a minute.
Kosgei’s achievement comes on an incredible weekend for marathon running, with Eliud Kipchoge breaking the two-hour barrier – albeit not under race conditions and therefore not a record – on Saturday.
Ethiopa’s Ababel Yeshaneh finished second in Chicago, six minutes and 47 seconds behind Kosgei.
Radcliffe’s 2003 time was the longest-standing marathon world record for either males or females in the post-war era.
