Speaking before the 44^th running of this event, the 28-year-old from the Rift Valley Province had told reporters: "It’s possible to challenge the world record.

"The weather is good and I think I can feed off of the crowd."

She was not joking.

The 2019 world champion went through the halfway mark in the barely credible time of 65min 44sec – 2:11:28 pace - and held on, pushing herself all the way to the line but falling off world record pace over the final two kilometres.

As she finished, she sank briefly to her knees with the effort before being helped to her feet.

The inspired performance shattered her 2019 personal best of 2:17:08 and mirrored her approach in Chicago last year, when she ran the first half in 67:34 and came home in 74:57, winning in 2:22:31.

“I wanted to break the world record - but I’m happy,” Chepngetich said.

“Next time, I will not miss it.”

Home runner Emily Sisson was the second woman home, breaking the national record of 2:19:12 set by Keira d’Amato earlier this year as she finished in 2:18:29.

Sisson, 30, who finished 10th in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 10,000 metres final, and also placed 10th in the Doha 2019 world 10,000m final, was racing in her first mass marathon since dropping out of last year’s United States Olympic Trials, where she was favourite.

After she crossed the finish line, NBC Sports reports, Sisson asked her husband, Shane Quinn, “What did I run?” and then “Where did I finish?”

“I never saw a vehicle or a camera,” during the race, she said, “so I was like, I must not be on American record pace, because I figured they’d show it if I was.”

Kenya’s Vivian Kiplagat followed Sisson home in 2:20:52.

Kenyan Benson Kipruto, last year’s winner in Boston, won the men’s race in 2:04:24.

Defending champion Seifu Tura was second in 2:04:49, with Kipruto’s compatriot John Korir taking third place in 2:05:01.

Conner Mantz, making his marathon debut, was the first American home, finishing seventh in 2:08:16.

Marcel Hug of Switzerland, a wheelchair winner at Berlin and London in recent weeks, completed a hat-trick of victories as he finished in 1:25:20, breaking the previous course record of 1:26:56.

The women’s wheelchair race went to home athlete Susannah Scaroni, who finished sixth in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics marathon and won gold and bronze respectively in the T54 5,000 and 800m events.

Scaroni, who had to drop out of last year’s Boston Marathon after being injured by a car while training, earned her first World Marathon Majors race victory in 1:45:48.