Faith Kipyegon looks to add marathon record to her collection in future
Double World and Olympic champion, Faith Kipyegon has expressed her desire to smash the World Marathon record in the coming years.
The 29-year-old mother of one reaffirmed her ambition to enter the fierce road racing competition when she is finished with the track.
Speaking on Citizen TV, Kipyegon revealed that her masterclass act in Monaco on July 22, where she smashed the world record in the one-mile race was her initial step towards venturing into the roads.
"The mile was my first road race as I look to take up a career in the marathon. Expect to see me in the next Berlin Marathon race. I will run the marathon one day," Kipyegon said.
"I intend to run every major marathon in the Abbott series including the BerIin, London, and Amsterdam," she added.
Kipyegon lavished praise on marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge for inspiring her to take a stab at the blistering 42km race.
"I train in Kaptagat with Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kamwaror in a global training camp and they have done quite a lot to inspire me to take an interest in the 42km race," Kipyegon stated.
"On Mondays, we do easy runs, and on Tuesdays, we are on track. We allow the men to start ahead of us and we try as much as we can to catch up. We cannot compete with them because their training is more intense. So we only work alongside them in easy runs.
"If you love something and have a passion for it, then going for training doesn't become a burden," she quipped.
Kipyegon added that she hopes to reclaim the women's 5000m world record at the 2024 Paris Olympics after surrendering it to Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay in Eugene, Oregon on September 17.
"Winning three gold medals back-to-back in the Olympics will be incredible. It will motivate the coming generations and motivate me as well. I will have left a legacy.
"I have already won four Diamond Leagues and I intend to go all out for my fifth title next year.
Kipyegon spoke even as news streamed in that she had been nominated for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year award.
She will vie for the accolade alongside 11 other nominees unveiled by the world governing body on Wednesday. The winner will be announced on December 13.
The Kenyan track sensation made the list of nominees following a splendid season, where she smashed three world records at the Diamond League before running away with the 1500m and 5000m world titles at the World Athletics championships in Budapest, Hungary.
posted Friday October 13th
by Tony Mballa