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Kenyan marathoner Rionotukei Chemutai eyes Standard Charter Nairobi Marathon title after years of near misses

Kenyan marathoner Rionotukei Chemutai believes time is ripe for her to win her first StanChart Nairobi Marathon race after previously coming close to claiming first place without much success. 

At the last edition in 2019 in Nairobi, Chemutai finished second, timing 2:33:04, behind Purity Jebichi who came first in 2:30:33. 

This followed her third and seventh places finishes in the same road race in 2015 and 2013. 

"My obvious target will be to win the women's race. It's only logical because the last two times I was on the podium so the next step is to go for the top prize. However, I know it won't be easy because so many  others will be going for the same win," Chemutai said. 

She added: "So many athletes are hungry for competition because they haven't been to run as much due to the coronavirus restrictions. Even though there have been international marathons, most athletes have not been able to participate in many of them. Therefore, StanChart offers them a great opportunity to run."

Regardless of the magnitude of her opposition, the 2017 Taiyuan Marathon is confident her hard work in training will pay off come Sunday.

"I have been working on my speed work both for the start and finish. Everyday, I cover 26-30km to get myself in the perfect physical shape for the marathon. Based on what I have experienced so far, I can say that training has worked out well," Chemutai said. 

One of the key changes to this year's marathon, which is returning after a one-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is the shift of the route from the traditional Uhuru Highway to the Southern By-pass. 

This has been necessitated by ongoing roadworks on the Nairobi Expressway.  Nonetheless, Chemutai insists this will not affect her preparedness for the marathon and adaptation to the new route. 

"A marathon is a marathon because the distance remains the same regardless of the route change. With regards to whether the course will be more hilly than am used to, I don't think it will be much of a bigger challenge," she said. 

As someone who  has been active in athletics for close to two decades, the Tegla Loroupe Peace Race 10km says self-discipline and hard work is the key to success. 

"You have to have a training program and stick to it. This requires discipline and to follow the instructions of your coach. Credit to my coach, Elkanah Ruto, for always supporting me to grow in my career," she said.