THE DEEPEST YEAR EVER found no fewer than 11 women breaking the 2:20 barrier in 6 different races. And 6 of them broke 2:19. But the Rankings are about more than just fast times, so it was that list leader Gladys Cherono (2:18:11 in Berlin) only ended up as No. 3. As has nearly always been the case, no woman was able to win more than one World Marathon Major, even though most of the leading lights tried, and what happened in one’s “backup” race became very important…
VIVIAN CHERUIYOT was second on the yearly list, winning the all-important London 26-miler at 2:18:31, moving to No. 5 on the all-time list. Her second race was a 2nd in New York City… Brigid Kosgei won Chicago at 2:18:35; her backup was a 2nd at London, where she was convincingly beaten by Cheruiyot, establishing their relative order. As for Cherono, her backup was only 4th in London, hence her No. 3 position…
REIGNING NO. 1 Mary Keitany gets No. 4 on the strength of a London 5th followed by a New York City win… Meskerem Assefa didn’t run a WMM race, but rounds out the top 5 after fastish wins in Nagoya and Frankfurt… No Americans made the grade.
| JUMP TO U.S. RANKINGS | VIEW WORLD TOP 50 LIST | VIEW U.S. TOP 50 LIST |
| 1. VIVIAN CHERUIYOT (Kenya) (9/11/83, 5-1/84) (1.55/38) | |||||
| 2:18:31 | … | 1)London | 4/22 | ||
| 2:26:02 | … | 2)New York | 11/04 | ▷ | 1. Keitany |
| 2. BRIGID KOSGEI (Kenya) (2/20/94, 5-4¼/101) (1.63/46) | |||||
| 2:20:13 | … | 2)London | 4/22 | ▷ | 1. Cheruiyot |
| 2:18:35 | … | 1)Chicago | 10/07 | ||
| 3. GLADYS CHERONO (Kenya) (5/12/83, 5-3¼/99) (1.61/45) | |||||
| 2:24:10 | … | 4)London | 4/22 | ▷ | 1. Cheruiyot; 2. Kosgei; 3. Bekele |
| 2:18:11 | … | 1)Berlin | 9/16 | ||
| 4. MARY KEITANY (Kenya) (1/18/82, 5-2¼/99) (1.58/45) | |||||
| 2:24:27 | … | 5)London | 4/22 | ▷ | 1. Cheruiyot; 2. Kosgei; 3. Bekele; 4. Cherono |
| 2:22:48 | … | 1)New York | 11/04 | ||
| 5. MESKEREM ASSEFA (Ethiopia) (9/20/85, 5-1/95) (1.55/43) | |||||
| 2:21:45 | … | 1)Nagoya | 3/11 | ||
| 2:20:36 | … | 1)Frankfurt | 10/28 | ||
| 6. ROZA DEREJE (Ethiopia) (5/6/97, 5-6/114) (1.68/52) | |||||
| 2:19:17 | … | 1)Dubai | 1/26 | ||
| 2:21:18 | … | 2)Chicago | 10/07 | ▷ | 1. Kosgei |
| 7. TADELECH BEKELE (Ethiopia) (4/11/91, 5-½/88) (1.54/40) | |||||
| 2:21:40 | … | 3)London | 4/22 | ▷ | 1. Cheruiyot; 2. Kosgei |
| 2:23:14 | … | 1)Amsterdam | 10/21 | ||
| 8. BERHANE DIBABA (Ethiopia) (9/11/93, 5-2½/97) (1.59/44) | |||||
| 2:19:51 | … | 1)Tokyo | 2/25 | ||
| dnf | … | –)Chicago | 10/07 | ▷ | 1. Kosgei; 2. Dereje; 3. Demise; 4. Kiplagat; 5. Nyaruai; 5. Nyaruai; 6. Crouch; 7. Ward; 8. Landau; 8. Landau; 9. Myrand; 10. Klimek Gage; … |
| 9. RUTI AGA (Ethiopia) (1/16/94, 5-2½/99) (1.59/45) | |||||
| 2:21:19 | … | 2)Tokyo | 2/25 | ▷ | 1. B. Dibaba |
| 2:18:34 | … | 2)Berlin | 9/16 | ▷ | 1. Cherono |
| 10. RUTH CHEPNGETICH (Kenya) (8/8/94, 5-3/97) (1.60/44) | |||||
| 2:22:59 | … | 2)Paris | 4/08 | ▷ | 1. Saina |
| 2:18:35 | … | 1)İstanbul | 11/11 | ||
