On October 8th, 2023, Kelvin Kiptum broke the marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:00:35 - beating the legendary Eliud Kipchoge's previous record by over 30 seconds. He did this at just 23 years old, setting the stage for a career that would undeniably push the boundaries of what humans are capable of and inspiring the world along the way. Less than 5 months later - 2 months before his next marathon in Rotterdam and 5 months before a highly anticipated showdown with Kipchoge at the Paris Olympics - Kelvin and his coach tragically died in a car accident in Kenya. His performance in the Chicago Marathon has now become all we can hope for him, but his legacy will be greater than the 36 seconds that stood between himself and glory.
I had a goal of following and seeing Kelvin as much as possible during the race, and this set captures moments such as the first bridge crossing over Chicago's iconic river, rounding the corner at Jackson & Halsted with the Willis tower looming behind, and heading up "Mount Roosevelt" - the only hill on the course just 400 meters from the finish as the time car shows just how close he was to breaking two hours. As someone who was planning to run this race until a stress fracture 3 weeks before, I decided to still make the trip out from LA to see friends, family, and bounce non-stop all over the course to document this historic run. It now feels like an honor to have been able to witness and capture this moment.
