Izzi Batt-Doyle sets Australian women's marathon record in Chicago
The Adelaide runner clocked 2:20:38 to finish sixth, taking 46 seconds off Jess Stenson's national mark.
Adelaide runner Izzi Batt-Doyle has broken the Australian women's marathon record, completing the Chicago Marathon in 2:20:38. The 31-year-old improved her personal best by two minutes and 21 seconds.
Her result was 46 seconds faster than the record Jess Stenson established in Valencia in December. Batt-Doyle placed sixth, while Ethiopia's Hawi Feysa successfully defended her title with a winning time of 2:13:33.
Batt-Doyle's fiancé Riley Cocks paced her through the race. She said they were running between groups from the second kilometre, leaving her to rely on their pacing plan rather than a larger group of competitors.
She reached halfway in 1:10:29 and completed the remaining half in about 1:10:09. Her fastest 5km section, between 35km and 40km, took 16:36.
Batt-Doyle said warmer conditions and fatigue had made her feel she was slowing. She had hydrated beforehand and splashed herself with water during the race to stay cool, but only began celebrating after seeing the clock near the finish.
She said the achievement brought relief after years of believing the record was within reach, and that she felt honoured to join previous record-holders including Stenson, Sinead Diver and Benita Willis.
The men's winner was Kenya's Amos Kipruto, who finished in 2:01:09.
