Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum set a new gold standard in marathon running when he ran an world record 2:00:35 to win the Chicago Marathon.

His mark eclipsed the previous world record held by Eliud Kipchoge, slicing from the 2:01:09 achieved by the Kenyan great at last year’s Berlin Marathon.

Kiptum entered Sunday’s race as the second-fastest marathon runner of all time having ran 2:01:25 just five months ago when he won in London.

He approached the final 200m with the record well in his sight, pumping his chest and waving to the crowd before collapsing into the hands of his manager after crossing the finish line.

His effort means he is now just the first man in history to break 2:01.

Kiptum had not originally targeted the record but said he knew that twice Olympic champion Kipchoge’s previous mark of 2:01:09 was within reach in the final kilometres, as he dug deep to make history.

“I feel so happy. I wasn’t prepared,” he said at the finish line. “A world record was not in my mind today.”

He broke the tape three minutes and 27 seconds ahead of compatriot Daniel Mateiko, while Belgian Bashir Abdi finished third in 2:04:32.

Dutch star Sifan Hassan won the Chicago Marathon women’s title in 2:13:44 – the second-fastest women’s time in marathon history.

The 30-year-old Ethiopian-born runner set a course record. Her time was second only to the women’s world record of 2:11:53 set by Ethiopian Tigist Assefa at last month’s Berlin Marathon.

Hassan, who won her marathon debut in April at London, is the Tokyo Olympic champion at 5,000m and 10,000m and won medals at 1,500m and 5,000m six weeks ago at the World Athletics Championships.

By Fred Odanga.