Running News Daily

Kenyans take action against gender-based violence

In the wake of the murders of Agnes Tirop and Rebecca Cheptegei by their intimate partners, Athletics Kenya launched a movement on Monday to fight back against gender-based violence (GBV). A new hotline was unveiled for athletes to confidentially report cases of GBV, while an engagement campaign moves across Kenya to encourage athletes to speak up and to raise awareness for financial exploitation.

Tirop, World Championships 10,000 bronze medalist, was murdered by her husband in 2021, giving rise to the creation of Tirop’s Angels, an organization fighting GBV. High-profile female athletes, however, continued to fall victim to men; in September 2024, Cheptegei, who ran the Paris 2024 marathon, died after reportedly being set on fire by her ex-partner.

Working in conjunction with the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), Athletics Kenya addresses how lack of communication has been a significant obstacle in the fight against GBV. The hotline will allow athletes to call for help when in danger of GBV, while a chatbot will enable them send an SOS.

“We will fight it the same way we are doing with doping.”

“GBV is totally unacceptable in our society as well as in athletics,” Athletic Kenya’s Chief Administrative Officer Susan Kamau said. “As Athletics Kenya, we are totally committed to eradicating GBV and we will fight it the same way we are doing with doping.” In 2023, the Kenyan government committed to rebuilding their anti-doping program and increased the frequency of random drug testing. Athletics Kenya hopes that a safe and confidential channel for reporting GBV incidents will encourage women and girls to speak up.

The awareness campaign, already in motion, has been moving across the country all week, hosting forums at athletics camps. The program allows runners to share their stories and suggestions to stop GBV, and features female leaders as speakers to educate athletes.

Raising awareness of financial exploitation, as well as GBV

High-profile athletes, including two-time 800m world champion and 2007 Olympic silver medallist, Janeth Jepkosgei, have also highlighted the connection between financial exploitation of athletes and GBV. “Be wary of predators who pretend to be coaches and get into a relationship with young athletes who are the same age as their daughters,” Jepkosgei said, speaking at Thursday’s forum in Kapsabet, Kenya.

Speaking at an earlier event, Lucy Kabuu, 2006 Commonwealth Games champion and two-time Olympian, emphasized the same message. Recently, the athlete has been defending herself in court against her ex-husband and coach, who is trying to claim her earnings. “When you start running and making money, be careful not to fall into the trap of unscrupulous coaches and managers,” Kabuu said. “You should buy properties in your name and not in any other person’s name. Get a financial adviser to help you invest wisely. Learn from me and what I am going through; do not wait to learn from another person.”

1997 World 10,000m champion Sally Barsosio echoed Kabul’s advice. Other successful runners that are actively raising awareness for GBV include seven-time World Marathon Major champion Mary Keitany, six-time World Marathon Major champion, two-time world champion and two-time Olympic silver medallist Catherine Ndereba, 2013 world champion, Diamond League champion and Olympic medallist Milcah Chemos and 2021 TCS New York City Marathon silver medallist, Olympian and founder of Tirop’s Angels, Viola Cheptoo. 

Kosgei believes she can go one step further and win title in Paris

Tokyo 2020 Olympics women's marathon silver medalist Brigid Kosgei believes she can go one step further and nail the title in Paris this year. 

In an exclusive interview on Wednesday Kosgei said she is ready to annihilate the rich field of competitors in the cut-throat 42km race on her way to the winner's dais. 

The two-time world champion constitutes the starry eight-member Team Kenya marathon delegation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled by Athletics Kenya last week. 

"I'm happy to be part of the team. The biggest dream of any athlete is to don the national colours and I'll do everything within my power to make the country proud," Kosgei remarked.

 "It's one great opportunity I cannot take for granted. Several brilliant Kenyan athletes deserved to be on board but were left out. My goal is to steer the nation to victory," she added. 

Kosgei will be gunning for the women's accolade alongside compatriots Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri. Sharon Lokedi is the reserve in the squad. 

"We have a strong team of marathoners and I'm certain we can achieve something positive results if we put our heads together," Kosgei stated. 

Her performance at the London Marathon on April 21 was, however, disappointing after she clocked two hours, 19 minutes, and two seconds to fizzle out to a disappointing fifth. 

She will, nevertheless, find comfort in her masterclass act on March 17, 2024, where she stormed to the Lisbon Half Marathon title.

Kosgei is well aware she has a lot to pan out in Paris after her inclusion in the starting lineup ahead of Lokedi ruffled some feathers, with a section of fans arguing that she ought to have been the reserve runner judging by their recent performances. 

Born on February 20, 1994, in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kosgei has demonstrated her gumption as a course diva since her inauguration, having bagged five World Marathon Majors. 

She gleamed to the Chicago Marathon title in 2018; and took the  2019 London Marathon gold medal, becoming the youngest woman to win the event. The feat saw her record the third-best time after Paula Radcliffe in 2005 ( 2:17:42) and Mary Keitany in 2017 ( 2:17:01).

She went on to replicate her conquering exploits at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Her credentials were boosted further by a first-place finish at the 2020.

London Marathon and another gold medal at the  2021 Tokyo  Marathon. 

This will be her second appearance at the Olympics after wrapping up second behind Jepchirchir at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and ahead of compatriots Cheruiyot and Ruth Chepng'etich.

Kepchirchir breaks women-only world marathon record in London

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir smashed the women-only world record by 45 seconds at the TCS London Marathon, winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in 2:16:16* on Sunday (21).

In what was widely regarded as one of the deepest and highest-quality women’s fields ever assembled, the three-time world half marathon champion sprinted away from world record-holder Tigist Assefa, 2021 London winner Joyciline Jepkosgei and last year’s runner-up Megertu Alemu – all of whom finished inside 2:17 – to notch up her third victory in a World Marathon Majors race.

Jepchirchir’s compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao made it a Kenyan double, winning the men’s race in 2:04:01 to defeat Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele by 14 seconds.

No secret had been made of the fact that breaking Mary Keitany’s women-only world record of 2:17:01 was the big target for the women’s race. With that at the forefront of their minds, a lead pack comprising all the big contenders soon detached themselves from the rest of the field and blazed through the first 5km in 15:44 – comfortably inside 2:13 pace.

They maintained that tempo through 10km, covered in 31:26, and at this point they were 67 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Tsige Haileslase, the closest challenger to the lead pack.

The front group – which included Assefa alongside past London winners Jepkosgei, Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Brigid Kosgei – got to 15km in 47:37. Soon after, Sheila Chepkirui – the runner-up in Berlin last year – started to drift off the pack.

Not long after passing the drinks station at the 20km point, 2019 world champion Ruth Chepngetich lost contact with the leaders. It meant that just seven women remained in the pack as they reached the half-way point in 1:07:04 – the second-fastest half-way split ever recorded in London, and putting them on schedule to smash the women-only world record by almost three minutes.

Kosgei was the next to drift back, and with the pacemakers having done their job, it left six women out in front: Jepchirchir, Assefa, training partner and Dubai marathon champion Tigist Ketema, 2022 London winner Yehualaw, 2021 London champion Jepkosgei, and 2023 London runner-up Megertu Alemu.

The sextet ran together through 25km (1:19:38) and 17 miles, but Ketema and Yehualaw were unable to hold on for much further and started to lose contact, leaving four women – Assefa, Jepchirchir, Jepkosgei and Alemu – to battle it out for the three podium places.

The difference between 25km and 30km, 16:18, was the slowest 5km section of the race. The lead quartet was either starting to feel the effects of their early efforts, or they were starting to bide their team for an anticipated surge in the closing stages.

With 1:44 on the clock, the four leading women managed to navigate their way around the two lead vehicles that had been forced to stop due to a wheelchair racer who was experiencing some technical difficulties.

Assefa and Jepchirchir both took turns testing the waters by making subtle surges to see how their opponents would respond, but their overall pace continued to drop and they reached 35km in 1:52:48, putting them on course for a 2:16 finish.They passed 40km in 2:09:13, still running side by side. It was clear that no one else other than these four would be claiming places on the podium, but predicting a winner – and, indeed, the athlete who’d miss out on the podium – was still impossible with less than two kilometres to go.

As the clock ticked to 2:15, with little more than a minute of running left, Alemu was finally dropped. Seconds later, Jepchirchir unleashed her trademark finish to leave behind Jepkosgei and Assefa.

The diminutive Kenyan charged through the finish line in 2:16:16, finishing seven seconds ahead of Assefa. Jepkosgei (2:16:24) and Alemu (2:16:34) followed soon after, making this the first marathon in which four women have finished inside 2:17.

Jepchirchir will now turn her attention to defending her Olympic title in Paris in less than four months’ time where she’ll aim to become the first ever back-to-back women’s marathon gold medallist in the history of the Games.

The men’s race played out in similar fashion with a surprisingly large group remaining together into the second half before the final few contenders were left to battle it out in the closing stages.The late Kelvin Kiptum’s world (2:00:35) and course (2:01:25) records were not being targeted by the elite men, but a lead pack of 12 nevertheless set off as a respectable pace, going through 5km in 14:35 and 10km in 29:03.

They remained together through 15km (58:20) with the likes of Munyao, Bekele, 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola and 2021 Chicago winner Seifu Tura all in the lead pack.

They reached half way in 1:01:29 with 10 men still running together, more than 80 seconds ahead of Britain’s Emile Cairess, who was running alone in 13th place. France’s Hassan Chahdi soon drifted off the lead pack, and eight men were in the pack at the 30km point (1:27:20).

With 1:30 on the clock, big changes started to happen. The lead pack was down to five men: Munyao, Bekele, Tola, Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde and compatriot Milkesa Mengesha.  Less than 10 minutes later, Tola and Wolde had dropped back, leaving Bekele, Munyao and Mengesha as the lead trio. Mengesha lasted five more minutes before he, too, succumbed to the pace, unable to stick with Munyao and the 41-year-old Bekele.

Just before the clock ticked over to 1:55, Munyao finally dropped multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Bekele, who was visibly struggling to match the Kenyan’s pace.

Munyao maintained his lead to the finish, eventually winning in 2:04:01 to Bekele’s 2:04:15, the fastest time ever by an athlete over the age of 40.

With several of the leading contenders dropping out in the closing stages, Cairess came through to take third place in 2:06:46 ahead of fellow Briton Mahamed Mahamed, who clocked 2:07:05, both setting huge PBs.

World record holder Tigst Assefa out to make history in first London Marathon

World record holder Tigst Assefa hopes to set a new women’s-only best time in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday and believes it will be tougher to win than this year’s Paris Olympics.

Ethiopian Assefa smashed the world record in September when she finished the Berlin Marathon in two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.

Next in Assefa’s sights is success in her maiden London Marathon and the women’s-only record, which is 2:17:01 and was set by Kenyan Mary Keitany at the 2017 event.

“I am very happy to be in London for the first time,” Assefa said via a translator.

“I did train very well for Berlin and I have trained well for this one. God will show how good I am on Sunday.

“I have prepared very well for this race and I am sure I can beat the course record here. As I am sure all my competitors here will feel as well.

“Regardless of whether it is London or Berlin, it will not change my strategy at all.

“I am here to win.”

Assefa took part in pre-race press duties on Thursday and was joined at the media centre in St James’ Park by Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich and Peres Jepchirchir.

Kosgei of Kenya held the world record until Assefa broke it in September but has won the London Marathon twice.

All four athletes were asked if victory in Sunday’s 26.2-mile race would be harder than winning the marathon at the Paris Games after London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher suggested that would be the case on Wednesday.

Only Kosgei felt the Paris Games would be harder with Assefa, Chepngetich and Jepchirchir all in agreement this weekend’s strong field made Sunday’s race the most difficult to win.

After Kosgei failed to finish last year’s race due to injury, she revealed preparation this time had gone well.

“I am happy to be here again this year,” Kosgei said. “Last year when I reached here I was not feeling well.

“I have been preparing well in Kenya and I am ready.”

Olympic champion Jepchirchir finished third in 2023 and backed a women’s-only record to be set this weekend.

Jepchirchir added: “On Sunday I know the field is strong and I know it is not easy. We are running with strong ladies.

“For myself, when I see the field is strong, I see the (course) record on Sunday. Yes, may the best win.”

Kosgei, Chepngetich, Jepchirchir headline stellar Kenyan cast in London Marathon chase

Three Kenyan women aim to break the women’s-only marathon world record at the 2024 TCS London Marathon.

Three of the top four fastest women in marathon history, all from Kenya, are set to take center stage at the 2024 TCS London Marathon, aiming to break the women's-only world record. 

This elite trio, comprised of Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich, and Peres Jepchirchir, are gearing up for what could be a historic race on the streets of London.

Brigid Kosgei, who previously set the world record at the 2019 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:14:04, is the veteran of the group. 

She has been in top form since breaking Paula Radcliffe's longstanding record and is no stranger to the pressures of big-city marathons. 

Joining Kosgei is Ruth Chepngetich, the fourth-fastest woman of all time with a personal best of 2:14:18. 

Chepngetich's aggressive racing style and ability to maintain a blistering pace make her a serious threat to the current record.

Rounding out the trio is Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion. 

Jepchirchir's tactical acumen and proven track record, especially in championship races, position her as a key challenger in this record-breaking attempt. 

Her victory at the Tokyo Olympics showcased her endurance and determination, qualities necessary for a successful run in London.

The current women's-only world record was set by Mary Keitany during the 2017 London Marathon, with a time of 2:17:01. 

However, with advancements in training and competition, this record has been under threat, particularly with the recent performances of these Kenyan athletes.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, emphasized the significance of this race in the context of marathon history. 

"We are in a golden age of women’s marathon running," said Brasher. He added, "Despite the incredible achievements in recent years, Mary Keitany’s record has remarkably stood the test of time.

However, with athletes like Kosgei, Chepngetich, and Jepchirchir in the field, alongside ten other women who have all run under 2:17:30, that record is under serious threat."

The race strategy for Kosgei, Chepngetich, and Jepchirchir will likely involve a collaborative effort with pacemakers to ensure a fast, consistent pace throughout. 

The London Marathon's unique setup, with elite women running separately from the men, provides an optimal environment for record-breaking performances. 

Additionally, the event will feature other top-tier athletes, including Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, the current world record holder, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw, the 2022 TCS London Marathon champion.

Nagoya Women's Marathon winner to pocket Ksh 35 million

The Nagoya Women's Marathon will be coming up on Sunday offering the highest prize money with the winner set to walk away with Ksh 35 million ($241,500US).

The 2024 Nagoya Women’s Marathon is certainly one of the marathons in the world that offers the highest prize money.

The winner of the race will walk away with more than Ksh 35 million with every finisher also being awarded a beautiful, specially designed pendant from a global luxury jeweller, Tiffany & Co., as a memento of their achievement.

As per the race organisers, the prize money for the subsequent places will be determined separately based on the competition results.

Meanwhile, this year’s field has attracted Gotytom Gebreslase who will have the course record in her sights when she races in the marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race.

The 2022 world champion set her Personal Best time of 2:18:11 when winning that title in Oregon and she went on to secure silver at last year’s World Championships in Budapest.

This will be the Ethiopian’s first marathon since then and she goes into it targeting at least a lifetime best, if not the course record of 2:17:18 set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich in 2022 – that time being the second-fastest-ever women-only marathon behind the 2:17:01 run by Mary Keitany in London in 2017.

“My goal for Sunday is to run under 2 hours and 18 minutes, and if the weather and pacemakers are good, I will try to break the course record of 2:17:18,” she said at the pre-event press conference.

She will face a stern test from Bahrain’s Eunice Chebichii Chumba, who finished seventh in the Olympic Games marathon in Sapporo, and Romania’s Delvine Relin Meringor who ran her national record of 2:20:49 when finishing third in Barcelona a year ago and she went on to place 12th in the Berlin Marathon in 2:23:25.

Violah Cheptoo will be Kenya’s sole representative in the race, hoping to retain the title that was won by Chepng’etich during last year’s edition of the race.

World record in danger! Three of the top four fastest women confirmed for London Marathon

The world record will be in danger with three of the top four fastest women in the history having been confirmed for the 2024 London Marathon.

World marathon record holder Tigst Assefa will brace up for a tough battle at the 2024 London Marathon that has attracted three of the top four fastest women in history.

The strong field assembled for the assignment on Sunday, April 21 will be keen to ensure that the women’s world record goes down one more time after being lowered during the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

The record was set by Assefa, who became the new world record holder when she ran an incredible 2:11:53, obliterating the previous best mark of 2:14:04 set by Brigid Kosgei during the 2019 Chicago Marathon.

Assefa and Kosgei will now clash for the first time with Kosgei going for the world record which she noted belongs to Kenya.

Others with eyes on the record include Ruth Chepng’etich, the fourth-fastest woman of all time (2:14:18), Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya), the reigning Olympic champion, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Ethiopia), the 2022 TCS London Marathon champion.

Pacemakers will be tasked with keeping the leading women on track for the women’s-only world record, which is possible at the TCS London Marathon as the elite women run a separate race to the elite men and masses.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, said: “We are in a golden age of women’s marathon running.

“When Paula Radcliffe ran her incredible world record of 2:15:25 at the 2003 London Marathon, we had to wait 16 years for Brigid Kosgei to beat it.

“But since then, a further four women have run faster than Paula’s time including Tigst Assefa, who lowered the world record even further with her stunning run in Berlin last year.

“Despite this, the women’s-only world record of 2:17:01, set by the great Mary Keitany here at the London Marathon in 2017, has amazingly stayed intact.”

He added that however, he suspects that with Assefa, Kosgei and the likes of Chepng’etich, Jepchirchir and Yehualaw in the field, the world record is going to be under serious threat at the 2024 TCS London Marathon.

RAS AL KHAIMAH HALF MARATHON IS ON SATURDAY AND IT SHOUlD BE A FAST ONE

New regime, new course, but with Olympic and world champions and the usual array of speedsters, Saturday’s Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is virtually assured of the sort of fast times that have been a feature of the event throughout its 17 year history, including three women’s world records.

Pride of place both on the start list and at this morning’s press conference in one of the smaller emirates in the UAE were Olympic marathon and three time world half-marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, and keeping the balance in the long-term East African distance running rivalry, world marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia heads the men’s entry. The wild card, hoping to gatecrash the party is Konstanze Klosterhalfen of Germany, who surprised the East Africans when she beat a dozen of them to win her debut half-marathon in Valencia in 2022.

Jepchirchir may neither be the fastest marathoner or half-marathoner among current women long distance runners, but she knows how to win races, an asset far more valuable than fast times. In the seven months between late August 2021 and mid-April 2022, she won the Olympic, New York and Boston Marathons, a rare collective achievement. In her comeback marathon following an injury, she finished third in last year’s London Marathon. And she has won 12 of her 16 half-marathons. She is loath to admit her plans yet, but this RAK ‘half’ is perfectly scheduled as a springboard, to going back to London in April, to upgrade that third place.

Tola was similarly annoyed that an injury preventing him successfully defending his 2022 world marathon title in Budapest last summer, but a speedy recovery saw him break the long-standing New York Marathon record with 2.04.58 three months later. He is one of the few elites to be making his debut in the RAK ‘half’ and the scale of his task may be judged by the fact that on paper there are 15 men faster than his best of 59.37 set seven years ago in Prague. But he suggested that is due for drastic revision. ‘I’d like to think I can do under 59 minutes if the race turns out to be fast,’ he said at the press conference. Fastest man in the field is Daniel Mateiko of Kenya with 58.26, but his colleague Benard(sic) Kibet has the advantage of having won last year in 58.45.

Klosterhalfen, ‘Koko’ to her pals may prove to be not only the wild card, but the joker in the pack in the women’s race. A world bronze medallist on the track and European 5000 metres champion, the German called a halt to her summer season last year when a foot injury caused her to reassess her career. She had changed her shoe sponsor, left her coach and long-term training venue in the USA already. She then switched again and has teamed up with Gary Lough, latter-day coach to Mo Farah and spouse of former world record holder Paula Radcliffe (here in RAK as a TV commentator). Klosterhalfen has also switched her altitude training venue to Addis Ababa, where she has just spent six weeks, coming directly to here. ‘Road running is still a bit of an adventure for me’, she said this morning. ‘I still want to run on the track, but I want to more road races’.

The roll-call of winners since the race began in 2007 is a ‘Who’s Who’ of distance running over the last two decades; beginning with Sammy Wanjiru and Berhane Adere in the inaugural race, via luminaries such as Patrick Makau, Geoffrey Mutai, Elvan Abeylegesse, Mary Keitany, Geoffrey Kamworor, Lelisa Desisa, Samson Kandie and Hellen Obiri. Add to that Jepchirchir herself who won in 2017 in a then world record of 65min 06sec.

The promoters of the successful marathon down the road in Dubai have been invited this year to give the RAK ‘half’ a makeover, and they began by introducing a 10k race for locals and altering the half-marathon course. ‘It’s faster and better than any route before here in Ras Al Khaimah; we’ve cut out some of the sharp turns,’ said race director Peter Connerton, ‘so we’re hoping for at least similar times and hopefully better. But with a couple of good races into the bargain’.

ELITE CONTENDERS

MEN

Daniel MateikoKEN58:26

Kennedy KimutaiKEN58:28

Seifu TuraETH58:36

Amdework Walelegn ETH 58:40

Benard Kibet KoechKEN58:45

Alex Korio KEN 58:51

Birhanu Legese ETH 58:59

Haftu Teklu ETH 59:06

Tamirat TolaETH59:37

WOMEN

Ababel YeshanehETH64:31

Margaret KipkemboiKEN64:46

Peres JepchirchirKEN65:06

Catherine Amanang’ole KEN 65:39

Konstanze KlosterhalfenGER65:41

Tsigie Gebreselama ETH65:46

Evaline ChirchirKEN66:01

Vivian Kiplagat KEN 66:07

Yalemget YaregalETH66:27

When Will Eliud Kipchoge Slow Down?

What we can learn from the world’s greatest distance runner of all-time while he’s still in his prime

Eliud Kipchoge has expanded the universe of what’s humanly possible in the marathon, and he will forever remain a legend in the sport of long-distance running.

Not only for himself, but especially for those who have come after him. That includes everyone, both elite and recreational runners, who are preparing a marathon this fall or some distant point in the future. His current 2:01:09 world record and his barrier-breaking 1:59:40 time-trial effort in 2019 are legendary feats, both for the current generation of runners and for all time.

The 38-year-old Kenyan marathoner is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, but time waits for no one, and especially not a long-distance runner. Like all elite athletes, his time at the top is limited, but fortunately, there is still time to immerse in the inspirational examples he’s providing.

Kipchoge recently announced he’ll return to the Berlin Marathon on September 24, where, last year, he won the race for the fourth time and lowered the world record for the second time. It is most likely what will be the beginning of a grand denouement as he goes for another gold medal at the 2024 Olympics next summer in Paris.

Given that he won his first global medal in the City of Light—when, at the age of 18, he outran Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj and Ethiopian legend-in-the-making Kenenisa Bekele to win the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 world championships—it would certainly be one of the greatest stories ever told if he could win the Olympic marathon there next year when he’s nearly 40.

Certainly he’ll run a few more races after the Olympics—and maybe through the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles—but, realistically, it is the start of a farewell tour for a runner who will never be forgotten.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not at all writing Kipchoge off. In fact, I am excited to see him run in Berlin and can’t wait to watch next year’s Olympic marathon unfold. But just as we’ve watched Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Shalane Flanagan, Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix, and other elite athletes succumb to the sunsetting of their peak performance level, so too will Kipchoge eventually suffer the same fate.

What I’m saying here is that we still have time to watch and appreciate Kipchoge eloquently working his magic and continue to be inspired in our own running and other pursuits in life. Remember how we marveled at Michael Jordan’s greatest in “The Last Dance” more than 20 years after his heyday? This is the start of the last dance for Kipchoge, who, like Jordan, is much, much more than a generational talent; he’s an all-time great whose legacy will transcend time.

Running has seen many extraordinary stars in the past 50 years who have become iconic figures— Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Ted Corbitt, Carl Lewis, Steve Jones, Paul Tergat,  Catherine Ndereba, Paula Radcliffe, Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Mary Keitany, Brigid Kosgei, and Kilian Jornet, to name a few—but none have come close to the body of work and global influence of Kipchoge.

Not only is Kipchoge one of the first African athletes to become a household name and truly command a global audience, but he’s done more than other running champions because of he’s been able to take advantage of this advanced age of digital media to deliberately push positive messages and inspiring content to anyone who is willing to receive it.

Kipchoge has won two Olympic gold medals, set two world records, and won 17 of the 19 marathons he entered, but he’s so much less about the stats and bling and more sharing—to runners and non-runners alike—that “no human is limited” and also that, despite our differences, we’re all human beings faced with a lot of the same challenges in life and, ultimately, hard work and kindness are what put us on the path to success.

How can an average runner who works a nine-to-five job and juggles dozens of other things in daily life be inspired by an elite aerobic machine like Kipchoge?

He is supremely talented, no doubt, but many elite runners have a similar aerobic capacity to allow them to compete on the world stage. What Kipchoge uniquely possesses—and why he’s become the greatest of all-time—is the awareness and ability to be relentless in his pursuit of excellence, and the presence and good will of how beneficial it is to share it.

If you haven’t been following Kipchoge or heard him speak at press conferences or sponsor events, he’s full of genuine wisdom and encouragement that can inspire you in your own  running or challenging situation in life. His words come across much more powerfully than most other elite athletes or run-of-the-mill social media influencers, not only because he’s achieved at a higher level than anyone ever has, but because of his genuine interest in sharing the notion that it’s the simplest values—discipline, hard work, consistency, and selflessness—that make the difference in any endeavor.

This is not a suggestion to idolize Kipchoge, but instead to apply his wisdom and determination into the things that challenge you.

“If you want to break through, your mind should be able to control your body. Your mind should be a part of your fitness.”

“Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.”

“If you believe in something and put it in your mind and heart, it can be realized.”

“The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is today.”

Those are among the many simple messages that Kipchoge has lived by, but he also openly professess to giving himself grace to take time for mental and physical rest and recovery. It’s a simple recipe to follow, if you’re chasing your first or fastest marathon, or any tall task in life.

Kipchoge seems to defy age, but his sixth-place finish in the Boston Marathon in April proved he’s human. As much as it was painful to watch him falter, it was oddly refreshing and relatable to see him be something less than exceptional, and especially now that he’s tuning up for Berlin. He has nothing left to prove—to himself, to runners, to the world—but he’s bound to keep doing so just by following the same simple, undaunted regimen he always has.

There will be other young runners who will rise and run faster than Kipchoge and probably very soon. Fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum—who has run  2:01:53 (Valencia) and 2:01:25 (London) in his first two marathons since December—seems to be next in line for Kipchoge’s throne of the world’s greatest runner. But even after that happens, Kipchoge’s name will go down in history alongside the likes of Paavo Nurmi, Abebe Bikila, Emil Zátopek, Grete Waitz, Shorter and Samuelson because of how he changed running and how he gave us a lens to view running without limits.

Berlin is definitely not the end of Kipchoge’s amazing career  as the world’s greatest long-distance runner. I fully expect him to win again in an unfathomable time. But the sunset is imminent and, no matter if you are or have ever been an aspiring elite athlete at any level, a committed recreational runner, or just an occasional jogger trying to reap the fruits of consistent exercise, his example is still very tangible and something to behold.

World marathon silver medalist Judith Korir motivated for London race

World marathon silver medalist Judith Korir believes she has what takes  to secure a podium place in the 43rd London Marathon in the United Kingdom on Sunday.

But it will be a tall order for her as she faces a formidable field that has her compatriots, reigning Olympics marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and Olympics marathon silver medallist Brigid Kosgei, who is also the world marathon record holder.

The runners will be targeting the course’s best time, which is a women’s only world record time set by Kenya’s Mary Keitany in 2017.

Last year, Korir who trains under the Italy-based Rosa Associati management, was initially entered in the London Marathon as a pacesetter but the last minute withdrawal of Brigid Kosgei saw her registered as a competitor.

She went on to finish fourth in a time of 2:18:43. This time she has been training in the full knowledge she is in the list of the elite women competitors.

“The line-up is tough but I believe in my training. I can’t compare it with last year where I prepared for one month,” Kosgei said when Nation Sport caught up with her at the Ndura Sports Complex in Kitale, last week as she put the finishing touches to her training.

“Competing with some of the best athletes in the marathon like Jepchirchir and Kosgei motivates me to work extra hard,” she said.

“London Marathon line-up is tough and my target is just to run well because we have some of the best athletes in the world participating,” added Korir, who is the 2022 Paris Marathon champion.

Nation Media Group’s NTV will broadcast the race live. There will be a watch party in Eldoret, at the Uasin Gishu County big screen along Uganda Road, starting at 8am on race day.

Chepngetich retains Nagoya Women's Marathon title

Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich solo ran her way to victory at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday (12), retaining her title at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in 2:18:08.

The 2019 world marathon champion went into the race aiming to claim back-to-back wins and improve her own course record. While she was unable to beat the 2:17:18 she ran to win in Nagoya last year – that time being the second-fastest ever women-only marathon behind her compatriot Mary Keitany’s 2:17:01 set in London in 2017 – Chepngetich claimed a dominant victory, winning by more than three minutes ahead of Japan’s Ayuko Suzuki (2:21:52). Japan’s Honami Maeda was third in 2:22:32.

On a warm morning, Chepngetich went straight to the front of the field and was running ahead of the pacemakers. She led by 35 seconds from the 15-strong chase group at 5km, which she passed in 16:19.

By 10km her lead was 76 seconds as she crossed that checkpoint in 32:34, nine seconds ahead of her course record split from last year, but with that record performance having been achieved with a faster second half of her race.

The 28-year-old clocked 49:00 at 15km and picked up the pace over the next 5km, reaching 20km in 1:05:14 and half way in 1:08:47, 16 seconds ahead of her split en route to her 2:17:18 course record. The chase group, featuring Japan’s Yuka Suzuki, Maeda, Mao Uesugi, Ayuko Suzuki, Mirai Waku and Honoka Tanaike plus China’s Zhang Deshun and Li Zhixuan, were two-and-a-half minutes back, following the two pacemakers through in 1:11:19.

Chepngetich, who also retained her Chicago Marathon title in 2022 in 2:14:18 for the second-fastest women's performance in history, went on to pass the 25km point in 1:21:32, maintaining her pace. The chase group, now including Ayuko Suzuki, Yuka Suzuki, Uesugi, Maeda, Waku, Zhang and Li behind the one remaining pacemaker, sped up and reached 25km in 1:24:21.

Chepngetich continued to race against the clock and she reached 30km in 1:37:51, three minutes ahead of Ayuko Suzuki and Zhang (1:41:00), who were starting to drop their challengers in the chase pack. Ayuko Suzuki then dropped Zhang, too, as she continued to pick up her pace.

Unlike last year when Chepngetich sped up in the second half, her pace began to slow but she was still on for a sub-2:18 performance as the clock showed 1:54:24 at 35km. Maeda had moved past Zhang into third, with Ayuko Suzuki clear in second place and now on sub-2:22 pace (1:57:40), still three minutes behind Chepngetich but 25 seconds ahead of Maeda.

Chepngetich hung on, with victory in her sights. She reached 40km in 2:11:07 and went on to win in 2:18:08, claiming the current largest first-place prize money in marathon running of US$250,000. Finishing 3:44 behind her was Ayuko Suzuki, her 2:21:52 runner-up time a PB. Maeda's 2:22:31 for third was also a PB that qualifies her for Japan's Olympic marathon trial race.

Zhang finished fourth in a PB of 2:24:05 and Uesugi fifth in 2:24:16.

“I am happy, I defended my title,” Chepngetich said on the event live stream. “The race was good. It was not easy for me to run alone but I am happy and I am proud of today’s success.”

Viola Lagat will be heading to the New York City Marathon for the second time hoping to improve on her second place finish in last year’s race

Viola Cheptoo Lagat, the younger sister of Kenyan-born US distance running legend Bernard Lagat had set base for the last three months in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

This Sunday’s race in the “Big Apple” will be her third over the marathon distance.

“Last year, it was a dream come true because I was debuting in the marathon and coming in second alongside such great athletes competing was just amazing. It gave me a reason to continue working hard,” said Lagat.

She did not change her training programme but wants to lower her personal best time.

Obiri makes debut

Other Kenyans lining up at Central Park on Sunday will be two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, Grace Kahura and Hellen Obiri. Obiri, a two-time world 5,000 metres champion and twice Olympic silver medallist over the distance, will be making her marathon debut.

“Competing with a great name like Edna Kiplagat is an inspiration. I’m still young in marathon because I need to know what time should I react and what time I should increase my pace compared to her who has done more races, she is sure of what she is doing,” Lagat added.

Lagat has good memories of last year’s race hailing Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir for pushing her to the podium at Central Park.

“I started slow in the race, but the most amazing thing is that my body started reacting well and I surged forward steadily and, to my surprise, I managed to get to where Jepchirchir was. She asked me if the pace she was doing was fine with me and I told her I was comfortable. She really encouraged me,” explained Lagat.

Tips from Keitany

Lagat has also been taking notes from four-time New York Marathon champion Mary Keitany who has been giving her tips on how to overcome the tough New York course.

Lagat started her 2022 season with a sixth place in Boston Marathon in April, her preparations affected by a bout of Covid-19 which slowed her training.

“When I started my training in January, I had difficulty. I just trained for two months and that affected my performance in April,” she said.

Lagat has planned with her coach to attack the Abott Marathon Majors series which, besides New York, also features the London, Tokyo, Berlin and Chicago marathons.

“I would like to ask Kenyans and all our fans to always pray for us as we line up for the race. Personally, I’m doing this for Peres Jepchirchir who pulled out of the race due to injury. We are praying for her to heal as soon as possible,” said Lagat who is a former 1,500 meters specialist.

She ranks Obiri as the dark horse, arguing that anyone making a debut is capable of upsetting the applecart.

Kenyan Mary Keitany to be inducted into New York Marathon Hall of Fame

Women's only World marathon record holder Mary Keitany will be inducted into the 2022 New York Road Races Hall of Fame in USA on November 4.

The ceremony will come two days before this year's New York Marathon which will take place on November 6.

Keitany told Nation Sport that it is a big honour for her to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in New York.

The legendary long distance runner thanked her fans in New York who cheered her on during the races.

“I’m glad I have been listed for the induction into the Hall of Fame. I started my marathon career in New York and after retirement, I’m happy I will be going back to be honoured,” said Keitany.

In her first race in New York in 2010, Keitany was in third place after clocking 2:29:01. She finished third again the following year, but improved her time to 2:23:38.

Keitany went back to New York Marathon in 2014 where won in 2:25:07 before defending her title in the 2015 and 2016 editions.

She finished second in 2017, then reclaimed her title in 2018 before announcing her retirement from road racing after her second place finish the following year.

"My first experience in major races was London Marathon when I was tasked to pace Lorna Kiplagat, Gete Wami and the rest of the team, I remember I had been asked by the race organiser and the management to pace the normal 21km but I exceeded to 26km just to test my body which was responding well at that time," said Keitany.

That would be the turning point for Keitany, who was by then a half marathon specialist. When she returned to training in 2009 after one-year maternity leave, her eyes were fixed on the full marathon.

She won the London Marathon in 2011.

Kenya's Ibrahim Hussein was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year with the Class of 21 which included Americans Gary Muhrcke and Shalane Flanagan, Scotswoman Liz McColgan and Australian Kurt Fearnley.

Yehualaw and Kipruto cruise to convincing wins at London Marathon

In just the second marathon of her career, Yalemzerf Yehualaw overcame a heavy fall to win the women’s race at the TCS London Marathon, while Kenya’s Amos Kipruto made a decisive move with two miles to go to take the men’s title at the World Athletics Elite Platinum road race on Sunday (2).

Yehualaw won in 2:17:26 – the third-fastest time ever achieved on the streets of London – while Kipruto’s closing speed brought him home in 2:04:39.

The opening pace in the women’s race was swift, as it often is on the slightly downhill section of the course. The lead pack of eight women – including Yehualaw and defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei – passed through the first 5km in 16:01 and they reached 10km in 32:18. That early pace suggested a finishing time of 2:16:15 – well inside the women-only world record of 2:17:01 – but the tempo soon started to drop.

The same eight women were still together through 15km (48:51) and at half way, which was reached in 1:08:46. Hiwot Gebrekidan was unable to stay with the pack for much longer and the lead group was reduced to seven women by 25km (1:21:29), the pacemakers having now dropped out.

Asefa Kebede started to push the pace as the lead group embarked on the second half, with Yehualaw biding her time near the back of the pack. Jepkosgei and Joan Chelimo Melly, meanwhile, looked comfortable in the middle of the pack.

With about 10km to go, Yehualaw tripped on a bump in the road and fell hard, just as she had done at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships where she went on to take bronze. She quickly got back up on her feet and rejoined the lead pack a minute or two later.

Melly and Ashete Bekere were next to drop off the pace, followed by Kebede, leaving just four women in the lead pack: Jepkosgei, world silver medallist Judith Jeptum, Alemu Megertu and Yehualaw. They reached 35km in 1:54:30, their predicted finishing time now outside 2:18:00, but the real racing was just beginning.

After two hours of running, Yehualaw started to increase her pace. A sizzling 4:43 split for the 24th mile broke up what was left of the lead pack, and within a couple of minutes the Ethiopian had a clear lead over Jepkosgei with Megertu and Jeptum further behind.

Showing no ill effects of her earlier fall, and running with the confidence of a seasoned marathon runner, Yehualaw continued to forge ahead in the closing stages and went on to win by 41 seconds in 2:17:26, just three seconds shy of the PB she set on her debut in Hamburg earlier this year. It’s also the third-fastest time ever recorded in London, behind the world records set by Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25) and Mary Keitany (2:17:01, women-only).

"I am so happy to win here in London," said Yehualaw. "I have worked very hard to prepare for this race and to take the victory is amazing."Jepkosgei held on to finish second in 2:18:07 and Megertu completed the podium in 2:18:32, a PB by 19 seconds. For the first time ever, six women finished in 2:19:30 or quicker.

Kipruto conquers quality field for first world marathon major

The opening pace in the men’s race was more steady and consistent than the women’s race, but the race unfolded in a similar fashion with a group of seven men running together through the early checkpoints. They covered 5km in 14:45, 10km in 29:26 and 15km in 44:20, suggesting a finishing time inside 2:05.

Kenenisa Bekele featured prominently in the lead pack, while defending champion Sisay Lemma held back slightly near the rear of the group. World and Olympic bronze medallist Bashir Abdi and Kenya’s Amos Kipruto were also in contention.

They reached 25km in 1:13:41, still on course for a finishing time just outside 2:04 and with the same seven men still running together. At about 33km, Bekele started to fall off the pace of the lead pack, but he stayed in the race and kept the leaders in sight.

About 15 minutes later – and at roughly the same part of the course where Yehualaw made her move in the women’s race – Kipruto accelerated away from the rest of the pack, opening up a significant lead within a relatively short space of time. A 4:21 split for the 25th mile proved decisive and it soon became clear that victory would be his.

He went on to win by more than half a minute, crossing the line in 2:04:39 to achieve his first victory in a marathon major, following three podium finishes in Berlin and Tokyo in recent years. Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase came through to take second place in 2:05:12, seven seconds ahead of Abdi.

Kinde Atanaw was fourth in 2:05:27, followed by Bekele in fifth in 2:05:53, his fastest time for three years. He also becomes the first 40-year-old to run a marathon faster than 2:06.

third photo: Gene Dykes on podium after winning the 70-74 age group with Eluid Kipchoge, the Goat!

Chepngetich runs 2:17:18 to win Nagoya Women's Marathon

Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich rallied to record the second-fastest ever women-only marathon at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday (13), clocking 2:17:18 to win the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race.

The world marathon champion ran a negative split – covering the first half in 1:09:03 and the second in 1:08:15 – to triumph ahead of Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter and claim the largest first-place prize money in the world of marathon running: US$250,000.

Chepngetich had been targeting her own PB of 2:17:08, run in a mixed race in Dubai in 2019, and achieving that would have taken her very close to her compatriot Mary Keitany’s women-only marathon world record of 2:17:01 set in London in 2017. When she ran solo through half way in 1:09:03 and passed 30km in 1:38:14, it looked like that target might be out of reach. Salpeter had also caught her by that point, but that only spurred Chepngetich on.

Digging deep, Chepngetich recorded 16:03 for the next 5km to re-establish her dominance and another 5km split of 16:05 put her well clear of her rivals by 40km, which she passed in 2:10:22. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see no threat but continued to push hard to the finish line, crossing it just 10 seconds outside her PB, in 2:17:18, to win by almost a minute and a half. As well as being the second-quickest women-only marathon in history behind Keitany’s record, it is also the second-fastest ever women's marathon on Japanese soil.

The 2020 Tokyo Marathon winner Salpeter secured second place in 2:18:45, exactly a minute off her national record run in Japan’s capital city, to record – like Chepngetich – the second-fastest marathon time of her career. Japan’s Yuka Ando was third in 2:22:22 and her compatriots Ai Hosoda and Yuka Suzuki were next to finish, running 2:24:26 and a debut 2:25:02 respectively to finish fourth and fifth.

"Fantastic!" Chepngetich later wrote on social media. "Winner at Nagoya Marathon with a new course record 2:17:18, close to my PB and second ever for a only-women race. Thanks to everyone who helped to make it!"

Running with the pacemakers, Chepngetich had formed part of the lead group that passed 5km in 16:34, joined by Ando, Salpeter and Hosoda. Keen to pick things up, Chepngetich moved ahead a short while later and was running alone through 10km, which she passed in 32:43, 25 seconds ahead of the chase trio. She had increased that advantage to 45 seconds by 15km.

Salpeter and Ando had left Hosoda behind by the half way point, which they passed in 1:09:47, but then Salpeter kicked. Running 15:59 for the 5km split between 20km and 25km, Salpeter closed the gap and was just four seconds behind leader Chepngetich at 30km - 1:38:14 to 1:38:18.

Chepngetich wasn’t done, though, and pushed up the incline to move away from her rival. Running 16:03 between 30km and 35km, the Kenyan had regained a nine second advantage by 35km and only continued to pull away. She was 55 seconds ahead at 40km and increased that to 1:27 by the finish.

Salpeter also ran a negative split of 1:08:58 compared to her first half of 1:09:47 to finish inside the previous event record. The top eight – completed by Australia’s Eloise Wellings (2:25:10 PB), Japan’s Ikumi Fukura (2:25:15) and Kotona Ota (2:25:56) – all broke 2:26:00, while a total of 15 athletes went sub-2:30:00.

Kenyan Mary Keitany turns focus on charity after retirement

Four-time New York City Marathon champion Mary Keitany wants to focus on charity work after hanging up her spikes in September.

The former world half-marathon record holder said she will be engaging more in charity as a way of giving back to the community after quitting active running.

"My community has been supportive throughout my running career and this is the only way I can reciprocate their gesture," he noted.

“My first race in 2006 was Shoe4Africa Charity race and I got huge support from the community despite finishing in the 21st. This opened doors for my long successful career and I feel I owe the community a lot,” said the 2009 world half marathon champion.  

Speaking during the Equator Road Run to raise funds towards the first-ever Children’s Cancer Hospital at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, the women’s only marathon record-holder said she also has other big dreams that will be revealed soon.

“My first race was a charity run (Shoe4africa) and this opened doors for me and helped me a lot. I want to nurture young talents and share with them my experience and how to become a successful athlete,” she added.

Keitany dominated the New York City Marathon, winning four titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018. She finished second in 2017 and 2019 and third in 20110, and 2011. She also won the London marathon in 2011, 2012, and 2017 before finishing second in 2015.

 “Since I hang up my spikes, all I have thought about is charity work and how well to support upcoming athletes. A lot of athletes need guidance in their training and this is what I am willing to offer,” she added.

She said just as she has performed in marathon, she wants to leave a legacy as far as charity work is concerned and she will soon announce her program. 

“I want to do something so that I am not just forgotten like that. As I said I want to leave a legacy and that is why I am venturing into charity," she noted.

Mary Keitany: from shoeless prodigy to top of the world

Kenya’s Mary Keitany, the holder of the world marathon record in a women-only race, generously agreed to donate some of her racing kit to the World Athletics Heritage Collection following her retirement in September.

Since the beginning of December, Keitany’s singlet, shorts and shoes from her fourth and final New York City Marathon victory in 2018 have been on display in the 3D virtual Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).

We are delighted to celebrate her donation by recapping the career of one of the all-time greats of road running.

'If I don’t do this, then what?'

Hailing from Baringo County, a province immediately to the east of the focal point for Kenyan running in Eldoret, there are many well-known and successful athletes who come from the area, but Keitany’s impoverished childhood made it initially unlikely that she was going to join their number.

She elaborated on her tough childhood in a lengthy interview with The New York Times in 2019 – details of which are only precised here – and described living in a home without electricity or any other basic amenities, as well as having no shoes for much of her childhood.

Her household tasks as a very young child included walking several kilometers to a nearby river to haul pails of water home for cooking and cleaning.

Keitany’s parents, both struggling subsistence farmers, were unable to afford even the modest school fees for her to continue her education from her mid-teens so, at the age of 15, to help support her parents and five siblings, she left and went to work as a live-in maid almost 20 kilometers away, caring for three infants and sometimes not seeing her family for several months at a time.

“It was not an easy job,” reflected Keitany. “But I was getting money to give to my parents. I was thinking, ‘If I don’t do this, then what?’”

Hidden talent out in the open

She returned to school after two years when a relative was able to help financially and Keitany started to attend the National Hidden Talents Academy near Nairobi, a community-based secondary school that primarily assists orphaned and vulnerable children. 

The school had a strong emphasis on physical education, which continues to this day, and it has produced several Kenyan internationals in a variety of sports. Keitany’s precocious talent as a runner, which had been evident in her early teens prior to the enforced two-year hiatus, came to the fore.

After eight months of hard training and sharing a cramped one-bedroom house with three other runners, Keitany made her first overseas trip and caused a minor sensation by winning the relatively low-key Sevilla-Los Palacios Half Marathon in southern Spain – not to be confused with the much better known EDP Sevilla Half Marathon – by over two minutes in 1:09:06, a course record that exists to this day ahead of the 2021 edition on December 19.

The words ‘unknown Kenyan’ are too often used to hide a lack of research or information but in this instance, it was a most appropriate phrase and, amid rumors at the time that the course was short because of Keitany’s super-quick time on the circuit, it bought her to the attention of both athletics aficionados and race promoters alike.

In the first nine months of 2007, Keitany proved that her debut international race had been no fluke as she rattled off another five half marathon victories in six outings at races in Portugal, Spain and France, also reducing her best to 1:08:36.

Keitany takes silver in Udine

This streak of success earned her a place on the Kenyan team at the 2007 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in the Italian city of Udine – an accolade she subsequently admitted as being among her wildest dreams, despite her ambition to be a top-flight runner 12 months before – and she showed her considerable mettle to finish second behind the Netherlands’ Lornah Kiplagat and bank a cheque for a life-changing $15,000.

To now give a complete narrative of the next 12 years of Keitany’s superb competitive running career through to her last race, the 2019 New York City Marathon, would take a book and cannot be done justice in just a few hundred words.

However, it was apposite that her running career should finish in the Big Apple at arguably the world’s most famous race over the classic distance, as it is this event with which she is probably most closely associated.

After finishing third in New York on her marathon debut in 2010 – in the wake of her win at the 2009 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in 1:06:36 which, at the time, was the second fastest mark ever on a record-legal course and an African record – Keitany went on to win the New York City Marathon on three consecutive occasions between 2014 and 2016 and then again in 2018.

To this day, she remains the only woman other than the incomparable Grete Waitz to have triumphed in New York more than three times.

Keitany also made her mark in the London Marathon. Her first triumph there came in 2011 and further victories in the British capital came in 2012 and 2017.

Record runs in London and RAK

She continues to hold the women-only marathon world record with a time of 2:17:01 set when she completed her hat-trick of London wins four years ago.

Another particularly notable accolade during her illustrious career was setting a world half marathon record of 1:05:50 at the 2011 RAK Half Marathon.

Perhaps the only blemish on Keitany’s competitive record is that she never climbed the podium at an Olympic Games.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, she started arguably as the favorite having returned to the city with a world-leading 2:18:37 from the London Marathon, albeit on a different course, four months earlier. She was part of a leading quartet of runners at 40km but was the luckless member of the group to miss out in the battle for the medals over the final two kilometers and crossed the line in fourth place.

In 2016, she was named as a non-traveling reserve for the Kenyan contingent going to Rio, but Keitany had her sights set on challenging for a place on the Tokyo team before the pandemic, and a cruelly timed back injury, intervened.

In September this year – with her 40th birthday looming on 18 January 2022 – Keitany decided to call time on her outstanding career and announced the end of her professional running in a valedictory press release.

“After my successful 2019, when I had some good results including second place in New York, I was hopeful that I could still be very competitive internationally for several more years even though I am in my late 30s,” she commented.

“However, I’m sad to say, a back injury that I suffered in late 2019 made a decision about my retirement for me. I couldn’t get the treatment I wanted in Europe because of the pandemic-related travel restrictions last year and every time I thought I had got over the injury and started training hard, it became a problem again.”Sadly, Keitany will no longer be seen on the start line of a major marathon but nevertheless she leaves behind a host of memorable performances that have assured her of a place in the pantheon of road running greats.

The basics, benefits and limits of altitude training

For years, altitude training has formed an important part of the training of many endurance athletes who cite it as a core part of their season. Here we break down the basic theory behind it, the difficulties athletes must overcome and the main spots to do it.

Though different definitions exist of what constitutes altitude training, we will, for the sake of clarity, consider altitudes in the region of 1500m to 3000m above sea level.

The theory behind altitude training

In simple terms, the oxygen inhaled from the air people breathe affects the energy their muscles receive to perform physical activities. Oxygen is carried around the body within red blood cells and helps the molecules in muscles perform their functions.

The higher the altitude, the lower the atmospheric pressure, which makes it harder for the body to transfer the oxygen into the blood. This is why people can often feel lethargic at altitude.  

In response to this situation, the brain triggers the increased production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), encouraging the body to make more red blood cells to better transport the oxygen available. This means, over time, the body begins to transport the limited oxygen better than when it first arrived at altitude.

When an athlete then returns to sea level this increased level of red blood cells, coupled with the higher atmospheric pressure, means the body is better able to transport oxygen than it was before and an athlete’s aerobic capacity is increased.

The body will, over time, return to normal levels of red blood cell production if the process is not repeated and the time taken for this to happen will vary from one athlete to the next.

How long do people train at altitude for?

It takes time for the body to adapt to higher altitude and many of the effects do not occur until after a prolonged period of time. Various studies suggest there is no increase in red blood cell count within the first seven to 10 days, meaning usually athletes choose to spend a minimum of three to four weeks at altitude.

Some athletes choose to be based at high altitude throughout the year (e.g. Boulder in Colorado, Iten in Kenya and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia), coming down to sea level for shorter periods around a racing season.

The difficulties of living at altitude

Early on in any stay at altitude individuals will likely find themselves to be lethargic as their body responds to the lower atmospheric pressure. Other side effects can include headaches and difficulty sleeping but these will often wear off as the body slowly adjusts to its new environment.

In extreme cases and at the highest altitudes (usually in excess of 3000m), severe failures to adjust can result in acute mountain sickness (AMS) with a range of possible harmful effects.

Athletes will also find it difficult to replicate the pace they are able to run at sea level because of their body’s reduced ability to transport the available oxygen.

Many will therefore choose to head to lower altitude to perform much of their more intense training. This approach is generally referred to as “live high, train low” but it is an approach only possible where different altitudes exist in close proximity.

Where do people train at altitude?

There are a number of locations where athletes choose to train across the world but some locations are particularly popular. These include Iten (c. 2400m) in the Rift Valley, home to many famous athletes including Mary Keitany and Lornah Kiplagat.

Over the border in Ethiopia, established camps exist in Sululta (c. 2700m) and in the capital Addis Ababa (c. 2355m), with products including Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie.

Europe plays host to a number of Alpine and Pyrenees resorts, including Font Romeu (c. 1850m) in France, and St Moritz (c. 1856m) in Switzerland.

The USA has a number of high altitude hubs, with Boulder (c. 1624m) in Colorado a huge centre of North American running as well as Flagstaff (c. 2106m) in Arizona and Albuquerque (c. 1619m) in New Mexico. 

Other locations include Mexico City (c. 2240m), Potchefstroom (c. 1378m) in South Africa, Falls Creek (c. 1600m) in Australia and Ifrane (c. 1660m) in Morocco. All locations come with their various pros and cons so it is important to research properly prior to any trip to altitude.

Are there alternatives to training at altitude?

Some athletes choose to replicate the experience of living in these locations through an altitude tent. These tents reduce the amount of oxygen within them and can be lived and slept in without the need to move location. Some see this as a less expensive and more pragmatic alternative to long trips away from home.

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei is confident of winning third straight London Marathon

World record-holder feels fit and ready for a tilt at the hat-trick on Sunday despite tight turnaround since the Olympics

Eight weeks after winning a silver medal in the Olympic marathon, Brigid Kosgei will attempt to win her third successive women’s title at the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday.

From the heat and humidity of Sapporo in Japan in early August, the 27-year-old from Kenya is likely to face considerably cooler and damper conditions in the British capital. More of a worry, though, is whether she has recovered and rediscovered sufficient fitness given the short turnaround since the Games, where she finished runner-up to fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

“My body was very tired after the Olympics but I did a lot of preparation to correct this and now I have come to London to do my best,” said Kosgei, who took only a couple of days off after her marathon at the Games before getting back into training.

On claiming a hat-trick of titles in London this weekend, Kosgei added: “I love London so I would really like to do that here. I am ready as I have prepared well as I want to defend my title.”

Mary Keitany, who retired a few days ago, won London three times in recent years – the latter with a women-only world record of 2:17:01. This is a natural target for Kosgei, who holds the outright women’s world record with 2:14:04 from Chicago in 2019.

Paula Radcliffe also won three London Marathon titles, but the last woman to win three consecutive crowns is Katrin Dörre of Germany, who took victories from 1992 to 1994.

Kosgei won her first London crown two years ago in 2:18:20 but then returned last year during to win an elite- only race in St James’s Park in cool and damp conditions in 2:18:58. 

Which course does Kosgei prefer? The traditional one that skirts around the entire city or the looped course from last year?

“I do not really like running lots of laps,” she smiled. “It made me feel dizzy.”

And the weather? “Better London than Tokyo,” she said. “I did not run my best in the Olympics.”

Jepkosgei is the reigning New York City Marathon champion while Dibaba is a two-time winner in the Tokyo Marathon and they all looked confident of cracking the 2:20 barrier on Sunday – the kind of time which will almost certainly be required to win.

“I wish my best to my colleagues and let the best athlete win,” said Kosgei. “Everyone wants to be in the top three and I just hope to do my best.”

World record-holder Mary Keitany retires due to back injury

Kenyan running great Mary Keitany announced her retirement on Wednesday (22) after a stellar career which saw her win the London Marathon on three occasions and the New York Marathon four times, as well as triumph at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships.

Keitany, 39, also still holds the marathon world record for a women-only race, having clocked a stunning 2:17:01 when winning the third of her London Marathon titles in 2017.

“After my successful 2019, when I had some good results including second place in New York, I was hopeful that I could still be very competitive internationally for several more years, even though I am in my late 30s,” said Keitany, who is third on the world all-time list for the marathon.

“However, I’m sad to say, a back injury that I suffered in late 2019 made a decision about my retirement for me. I couldn’t get the treatment I wanted in Europe because of the pandemic-related travel restrictions last year and every time I thought I had got over the injury and started training hard, it became a problem again. So now is the time to say goodbye – if only as an elite runner – to the sport I love so much.”

Keitany first came to global attention in 2007, after local success in Kenya the previous year, with a series of good performances in European half marathons which then earned her a place in the Kenyan team at that year’s World Half Marathon Championships. A silver medal at the 2007 edition of that event, and team gold, was followed by more than a decade among the very best of the world’s road runners, even with breaks in 2008 and 2013 to give birth to her children Jared and Samantha.

Keitany won the 2009 world half marathon title in Birmingham by more than a minute in 1:06:36, at the time the second-fastest mark ever on a record-legal course and an African record. She also led Kenya to the team gold medals.

After finishing third in New York on her marathon debut in 2010, her first major marathon win came in her next race over the classic distance when she triumphed at the 2011 London Marathon and further victories in the British capital came in 2012 and 2017.

She will also be remembered fondly for her three impressive consecutive wins at the New York Marathon between 2014 and 2016 before winning in the Big Apple again in 2018.

Other accolades include setting a world half marathon record of 1:05:50 at the 2011 RAK Half Marathon, fourth place in the London 2012 Olympic Games marathon, and she continues to hold the women-only 25km world best of 1:19:43, set during her triumphant 2017 London Marathon run. She set her half marathon PB of 1:04:55 in 2018, which at the time ranked her third on the world all-time list.

“As for the future, I haven’t fully decided on my plans but I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family,” said Keitany. “My children are currently 13 and eight. In addition, I am involved with some local charitable enterprises.”

Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel to run TCS New York City Marathon

Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel is one of several standout American women planning to run the New York City Marathon in November, race organizers announced Wednesday.

Seidel stunned even herself with a third-place finish in Tokyo this month in just the third 26.2-mile race of her career. An NCAA Division I champion at Notre Dame in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 meter events, she is now the headliner for the NYC Marathon’s 50th running in her five-borough debut.

“Since the beginning of 2021, I’ve had two races circled on my calendar: the Olympic Games’ marathon on Aug. 7 and the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 7,” said Seidel, 27, who grew up in Wisconsin. “Winning the bronze medal in Sapporo showed that I can run with the best in the world, and on any given day, anything is possible.”

Fellow U.S. Olympians Aliphine Tuliamuk, Sally Kipyego and Emily Sisson will also be in the field, along with 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden.

Four-time champion Mary Keitany of Kenya won’t participate for the first time since 2013.

The men’s professional field has not yet been announced.

The 2020 NYC Marathon was canceled by the pandemic, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in June that the 2021 race would go on — albeit with a field limited to about 33,000 entrants, down from 55,000 in 2019.

Tuliamuk, who was born in Kenya, won the 2020 U.S. Olympic marathon trials in Atlanta four years after gaining American citizenship. She gave birth to a daughter in January 2021 but still competed in Tokyo. She dropped out near the 20-kilometer mark.

“I want to inspire people, most importantly my daughter, to chase their dreams,” she said in a statement released by the NYC Marathon. “I’m a different athlete and person than I was the last time I ran the TCS New York City Marathon in 2019, so why not fulfill one more dream on Nov. 7?”

Tatyana McFadden is pursuing a record sixth NYC Marathon title in the wheelchair division but hasn’t won since 2016. She won’t have to contend with two-time defending champion Manuela Schär, who is not listed among the competitors.

Sally kipyego is focused on winning a medal in the Olympic marathon

After the 2020 Olympics were postponed last March because of Covid-19, US Olympic marathoner Sally Kipyego and her coach Mark Rowland decided to take a laid back approach to the rest of 2020 with the hope that Kipyego’s body would feel refreshed when she resumed training in earnest last fall. The time is coming, however, to return to competition.

Kipyego was scheduled to race last week for the first time since she made Team USA at the US Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2020. But the race she was planning on running, the RAK Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates, was cancelled. Instead, she has a 15K planned for March (Kipyego could not officially announce it, but the logical assumption is she means the USATF 15K champs in Jacksonville on March 20) and a 10,000 on the track in April, where she hopes to hit the qualifying standard for the 2022 Worlds in Eugene. After that, she will shift to marathon mode and focus on building up for the Olympics.

And Kipyego is dreaming big. And for good reason. Kipyego is the only member of the US women’s marathon squad with an Olympic medal, having earned a silver in the 10,000 in London in 2012 for her native Kenya, and believes she is capable of taking home another one this summer.

“I feel like if I get good consistent training — which I have been able to do the last one-and-a-half years — proper training, I think I’ll have a chance of medaling,” Kipyego says. “That is really the objective for this season for me, is to be able to medal.”

Some may think that is an ambitious goal for a 2:25 marathoner who was only third at the US Olympic Trials. After all, it has been over five years — when she was 5th in the 10,000 at the 2015 Worlds — since Kipyego has been competitive in a global championship. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

For one, Kipyego, who at 35 is two years younger than Sara Hall, feels she has yet to demonstrate her full potential at 26.2 miles, going so far as to say, “I haven’t really quite gotten a good marathon in.” Kipyego was second in the first marathon she finished, running 2:28:01 in New York in November 2016, but she was way back of winner Mary Keitany who ran 2:24:26. Shen then missed all of 2017 after giving birth to daughter Emma, and it took her longer than expected to get back to top form after her pregnancy.

It was not until the fall of 2019, when she ran 2:25:10 in Berlin, that the world began to catch a glimpse of the Kipyego of old, and she is confident in the training she has stacked together since then. But that still leaves a second problem: can Kipyego possibly get into medal shape given the current state of women’s marathoning? Of the seven fastest women in history, five have set their personal bests (all 2:17:45 or faster) since the start of 2019, led by Brigid Kosgei‘s 2:14:04 world record in Chicago.

“We’re talking about championships,” Kipyego says. “When it comes to championships, they’re not the same as major marathons, for example. You can still be competitive in a championship because you’re not running 2:14 or 2:12 marathon pace. If the race is being run at 2:20, most of us can be able to put themselves there. So I believe that if I can get — and I’m trying to get myself into — 2:20 or sub-2:20 shape going into Tokyo, and I think if I am in that kind of shape, my chances are pretty good at medaling.”

Kenyan Daniel Simiu turned into a long distance star when he decided running away from bandits

A 24-kilometer walk to school in neighbouring Laikipia also helped build his career.

For nearly three years since joining the elite ranks in athletics, his name has remained the most confusing one.

The confusion in his name is however not as scary as the mention of his origin, which is in an area described as one of Kenya’s most dangerous places to live in due to armed conflict.

Is he Simiu or Simiyu? That’s the confusion athletics fans and sports journalists have been treated to as they struggle to understand an Iten-based track and cross country racer who missed the opportunity to represent Kenya in 5,000m at the 2019 world championships in Doha, Qatar.

Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, 25, shot to fame after powering to a second place at the national World championships trials.

Even Athletics Kenya race officials have been misspelling his name, recording it as Simiyu – a name that is common among the Luhya tribe of Western Kenya. The confusion about his name aside; who is this man Simiu?

In Iten where he trains, he can walk to town and enjoy a cup of hot tea in the evening without attracting any attention, unlike big names including four-time London Marathon champion Mary Keitany, two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat and multiple world marathon major champion Wilson Kipsang among others.

Simiu’s athletics career started in the volatile Baragoi, Samburu County where he ran away from dreaded cattle rustlers at a young age and turned him from a footballer to a runner.

For many years, Baragoi has been synonymous with deadly banditry attacks, but surprisingly birthed Simiu’s athletics talent.

“A mention of Baragoi scares many people, but that is where I was born and grew up. It is the place I call home,” he said.

“As for the name Simiyu, I just got used to it. Some fans and athletes have asked why I can’t represent Western Kenya in local competitions. The good thing is that many people are getting to know me. What they don’t know is that I come from Samburu.”

He says it was while at Aiyam Day secondary school when a 24km trek to the learning institution and back home would make him an athlete.

Walking to school early in the morning and back in the evening, he explains, was the most dangerous journey, since they crossed bandits’ battle grounds along the narrow paths to the institution.

He says because of the long trek to school, which started at 5.30am he became an athlete by default.

Simiu was expected to be in school but teachers who knew the distance from his home to the institution gave him a 30-minute allowance, and he would arrive at 8am.

“It is while in secondary school that I developed interest in athletics. It started as inter-dormitory competitions and I discovered I was good. I also represented my school but I only reached the regional level. My games teacher Maurice Osuma spotted the talent and encouraged me to train harder,” he explains.

He says the distance to Aiyam secondary school would often become longer during moments when bandits were battling along the way.

“I would be forced to take a longer route to escape being attacked by rustlers. It meant increasing my pace to reach school on time,” he recalls.

He never wasted time. In 2016, upon completing his secondary school education, Simiu travelled more than 400km to Iten to train. His elder sister Pauline Eskon, a road runner had come to Iten earlier and she welcomed him when he arrived in the famous high altitude training base.

Simiu who is in top form this season has his sights on a second attempt to represent Kenya in 5,000m at the Olympic Games.

Kitata conquers Kipchoge while Kosgei retains title at London Marathon and US Sara Hall finishes second

The man is fallible after all. Eliud Kipchoge’s reign of invincibility came to a crushing end with an eighth-place finish at the Virgin Money London Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label race, as Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata won a dramatic, last-gasp sprint to take the honours in the men’s race.

Kipchoge, the Olympic champion and world record-holder and unbeaten in 10 previous marathons, had been widely expected to claim an unprecedented fifth London title in his first race since making history by breaking the two-hour barrier in Vienna.

His principal challenger, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekeke, had been forced to withdraw with a calf injury just two days before the race, while Kipchoge had cut a confident figure in the build-up as he discussed how well his preparations had gone.

Moments before he went to the start-line, fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei had raced to a runaway victory to retain her London crown, and few predicted anything but a Kipchoge triumph to complete a Kenyan double.

But this time, the race did not follow the usual script. Looking comfortable among a lead group of nine runners for much of the race, Kipchoge appeared to be biding his time before launching a characteristic surge of pace to break up the field.

On this occasion, though, the attack failed to materialise. Instead, the tables were turned on the mighty Kenyan as his rivals launched a breakaway with three miles of the race remaining.

With Kipchoge unable to respond, a lead group of five soon turned into a three-way battle between Kitata, fellow Ethiopian Sisay Lemma and the towering Kenyan, Vincent Kipchumba. Kipchoge, meanwhile, was disappearing into the distance.

In one of the most exciting finishes in London Marathon memory, Kipchumba was the first to strike for home, only to be overtaken on the line by the diminutive Kitata. Just a single second separated the two men as Kitata clocked a winning time of 2:05:41.

“I prepared very well for this race,” Kitata, 24, said afterwards. "Kenenisa Bekele helped me. I am very happy to win the race.”

Lemma was third in 2:04:45 while Kipchoge crossed the line in eighth in 2:06:42 – his slowest ever time in a city marathon. It was his first defeat since 2013.

“I am really disappointed,” Kipchoge said afterwards. “I don't know what happened.

“The last 15km, I felt my right ear was blocked and I had cramp in my hip and leg.

“It just happened in the race. I started well. It's really cold but I don't blame the conditions.”

It was a remarkable outcome to an extraordinary race, which was staged for the first time over 19 laps of a closed-loop course around St James’s Park in central London after the original race scheduled for April had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The course was also off limits to spectators to maintain a ‘biosecure’ bubble for the athletes and support staff. It was just a shame that no one was there to witness in person one of the most dramatic men’s races in the event’s 40-year history.

By contrast, the women’s race followed a more predictable path.

Kosgei, the overwhelming pre-race favourite after obliterating Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old world record when she won in Chicago last October in a stunning 2:14:04, delivered another imperious performance to retain her London crown.

Her time of 2:18:58 may have been 38 seconds slower than her victory a year ago, but her winning margin of more than three minutes spoke volumes for her dominance. At the age of just 26, she is already taking the marathon into uncharted territory.

“I just tried my best,” she said afterwards. “The weather affected us today. There was some wind and rain all the way, which made our muscles colder. No one could warm up so it was difficult to even finish.”

Earlier in the race, Kosgei’s main challenge came from fellow Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, the world champion and London debutant, as the pair set a hot pace to break away just before the 10-mile mark.

The halfway split of 1:08:15 put the duo on track to lower Mary Keitany’s women’s only world record of 2:17:01, though the soggy conditions and tight corners on the looped course were never going to be conducive to record-breaking times.

Chepngetich made a brave attempt to surge away from Kosgei after the midway point, though the attack was swiftly countered and the pair settled into a more sedate pace for several miles, ending all thoughts of breaking records.

It was after the 19-mile mark that Kosgei made the decisive attack and this time Chepngetich had no answer, dropping back quickly and looking suddenly fatigued as she evidently paid the price for going with the early pace.

As Kosgei’s race turned in a one-woman exhibition over the closing miles, the real contest was taking place further back in the field as veteran Sara Hall of the US overhauled Ethiopia’s Ashete Bekere to move into third place before training her sights on the tiring Chepngetich.

In an exciting sprint finish that presaged the men’s race a couple of hours later, Hall, 37, found the energy to burst past the Kenyan with just 80 metres remaining, crossing the line in second place in a lifetime best of 2:22:01 for her first ever top-three finish in a major city marathon. Chepngetich finished four seconds behind her.

It was also the first time an able-bodied US athlete had made it on to the London Marathon podium since Deena Kastor’s victory in 2006 – an achievement that will help atone for Hall’s disappointment in failing to gain selection for the Tokyo Olympics at last year’s US Olympic trials.

Three-time London Marathon champion Mary Keitany Predicts Winner of the London Marathon

Three-time London Marathon champion Mary Keitany won't be at the starting line when this year's race blasts off near The Mall on October 4.

One of Kenya's greatest women marathon runners ever won't be in the elite-only field tackling the 19.6 laps of the 2.12-kilometre loop course crafted in a "biosecure bubble" orchestrated by the coronavirus pandemic.

As the athletes power down Horse Guards Road onto Birdcage Walk, Spur Road past the iconic Buckingham Palace and back to The Mall, Keitany won't be in the mix.

And she will be missed in the final, extra 1,345 metres to the finish line...

"Many are wondering why I'm not in the line-up this year, but I had been invited for the Boston Marathon race which I later cancelled due to an injury.

"The race has been postponed to next year and I have enough time to prepare because this will be my debut in the race," she told Nation Sport.

"One has to prepare well and you can't predict a race up to the last few kilometres because anything can happen with your body."

"A good example is the Boston and Chicago marathon where we saw athletes competing in a group up to the last 50 metres when Lawrence Cherono won both races in a sprint finish," she explained.

"When I broke the (women's only) world record in 2017, we just started the race in a high pace with my pacemaker, and by the time the other athletes reacted, I was very far and that's how I won the race.

"Even elite athletes have pressure during training and before the race starts, but for me that disappears when the race starts and I have to get focused to the finish line."

"Many athletes will hang on until the 35km mark where they will start dropping," she added.

Her prediction for the men's race on October 4 is that Eliud Kipchoge will carry the day, but that it will be a tight race.

New York marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei dreams to rule the roost in marathon despite cancellations

 New York marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei had not planned to venture into the ultimate distance late in 2019.

For her, the graduation from road races to the marathon was penciled for 2018 after meticulous planning.

However, illness, poor form and injury delayed her promotion to the new challenge until late in 2019.

Jepkosgei had plans to answer her critics by running at the Honolulu marathon and later in the London marathon in 2018 but failed to get the chance due to injury and sickness.

However in 2019, after a lot of self-evaluation, she took a leap of faith and ventured into the marathon and was handsomely rewarded with a win in New York on first asking, powering to cut the tape in 2:22:38, which was seven seconds off the course record of Margaret Okayo (2:22:31) set in 2003.

"I was not expecting to win in New York, based on the high profile athletes that I was running against, especially my village mate Mary Keitany," Jepkosgei told Xinhua on Monday from Iten, her training base.

However, the 26-year-old never anticipated her development in the marathon would be stalled by COVID-19. She had planned to compete at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Lome, Togo in March as part of her preparations for the London marathon in April. But the event was postponed to 2021.

Earlier Jepkosgei had let the chance to compete at the World Half Marathon in Gdynia, Poland slip past her to focus on running in London.

However, the sports calendar was wrecked by the global pandemic and all the three events were either postponed or canceled.

"At first, I thought it was going to be a short time and we would return to action by June. Then we saw governments closing down, movement within and outside the country was restricted and all hope was dashed and we had to isolate even in training at home. Our training camps were shut down and we had to retreat back to our homes to avoid catching the COVID-19 pandemic," said Jepkosgei.

While all this was happening, Jepkosgei, who is also the world marathon record holder (64:51) hinged her hopes on defending her title in New York in November.

However, even that has been taken away from her, throwing the season into uncertainty.

That cancellation of the 2020 New York City marathon was no surprise to Jepkosgei.

"I was preparing for another good run to defend my title in New York. I had turned down my chance to compete at the World Half Marathon so as to focus on London and New York marathons, but both will not be held as planned in 2020," Jepkosgei added.

She, however, has not given up on her hope and dreams to lead Kenya to one day win the Olympic gold in the 2024 Paris Games.

"For me, I take the cancellations of marathon races positively knowing that there will always be another chance to excel, to showcase my talent and to work on my career performances. A chance will always come when we will return to competition post-COVID-19 and that is why I keep on training. To be ready when called upon to compete again," she said.

Jepkosgei, however, believes though 2019 was her best season, so far, better performances are in cue for her starting in 2021.

"Past records are just that, they lay in the past. I look forward to the future and want to do well," she said.

Indeed last year, Jepkosgei excelled better than predicted. For an athlete who held world records in the half marathon and road 10K, the year saw her clinch the New York City Half Marathon in March and go on to overcome her fears and compete in her first full marathon.

In addition, Jepkosgei is the youngest women's marathon champion in New York since 2001. She is the first woman to win in her debut since Tegla Loroupe of Kenya in 1994 and posted the fastest debut finish by a woman in New York City Marathon history.

"I have scaled down my training because I love running. I always want to be in my best shape. For now, there is no inspiration to train hard for a competition venture, but for the love of sport, I have to continue doing what I love, running," Jepkosgei added.

For now, she is at peace with organizers' projection to host the next New York City Marathon in 2021 with a set date being Nov. 7.

Hopefully, for Jepkosgei, she prays to remain injury-free and fit to defend her title. Time will tell.

Kenyan Mary Keitany is ready to shed off added weight after hip injury lay-off

If you are familiar with former London Marathon champion Mary Keitany, the first thing you will notice when you meet her is the extra bit of weight she is obviously carrying.

Understandably, Keitany has been nursing a hip injury picked last year that has prevented her from engaging in any serious training.

Many may not be aware that she sustained the injury when she competed in last year’s London Marathon finishing fifth in 2:20:58 as compatriot Brigid Kosgei romped to victory in 2:18:20.

Keitany told Nation Sport that she has been treating the hip injury since then.

She lined up for the New York Marathon against the advise of her doctor and is paying the price for that.

Running as the defending champion, she finished second in 2:23:32 as New York got a surprise winner in the name of newcomer Joyciline Jepkosgei, who romped to a marathon debut win of 2:22:38 while Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga sealed the podium in 2:25:51.

In the new season, Keitany was to debut in Boston Marathon in April but she pulled out because the hip injury, that had been aggravated in New York and just could not heal, seriously affected her preparations.

“I was supposed to compete this year in the Boston Marathon but I had to cancel in February because I could not prepare adequately. I saw it wise to take a break this season,” said Keitany, who is also the world record holder in a women’s only marathon.

She did just that before starting easy training recently.In the new season, Keitany was to debut in Boston Marathon in April but she pulled out because the hip injury, that had been aggravated in New York and just could not heal, seriously affected her preparations.

“I was supposed to compete this year in the Boston Marathon but I had to cancel in February because I could not prepare adequately. I saw it wise to take a break this season,” said Keitany, who is also the world record holder in a women’s only marathon.

She did just that before starting easy training recently.

or a major marathon which is always competitive, I need four months of good training so that I can gun for a win. We hope by then the virus will have been contained and business back to normal especially in USA which has been seriously hit,” said Keitany at her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

Keitany said that the coronavirus pandemic may have stopped races but the athletes will come out stronger. “I really feel for the athletes who had their races cancelled or rescheduled. They didn’t get the money and I’m crying for that athlete who was going for his/her first race but it was cancelled due to the virus,” she said.

I badly need an Olympic marathon gold medal says Cheruiyot

Heading into these two major races, I will be running as a typical Vivian and I have hope, determination and the zeal to do well — Cheruiyot.

• Arguably the most decorated Kenyan runner, Cheruiyot began her international career in 1999, when she won a silver medal in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Belfast and a 3000m bronze medal at the World Youth Championships in Bydgoszcz.

Olympic 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot has revealed that winning the marathon title at this year's Olympic Games in Tokyo will be the icing on the cake in an illustrious career spanning over two decades.

Cheruiyot, nicknamed ‘Pocket Rocket’ is also a multiple-time world champion on track and cross country but insists she has her work cut out in her chase for what she describes as her all-time career goal.

But before Tokyo, Cheruiyot is keen on defending her title at the Lisbon Half (March 21) and reclaiming her London Marathon title on April 26.

This, she says, will boost her confidence heading to Tokyo.

Speaking in Elgeyo Marakwet County during the Maria Soti Cross Country Championships 10 days ago, the two-time 5,000m and 10,000m world champion said she has been preparing well for the Games.

“Heading into these two major races, I will be running as a typical Vivian and I have hope, determination and the zeal to do well,” said Cheruiyot.

“I will be defending my Lisbon title as a precursor for the London Marathon. I also have a big task ahead of me, that of representing my country Tokyo, where I also hope to win my second Olympic title.”

Arguably the most decorated Kenyan runner, Cheruiyot began her international career in 1999, when she won a silver medal in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Belfast and a 3000m bronze medal at the World Youth Championships in Bydgoszcz.

Since then she has won numerous accolades at the African Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Olympic Games and World Marathon Majors.

“The journey has been good and I want to do better than I have ever done. I want to promise Kenyans a good fight in Tokyo,” added Cheruiyot.

Following her dominance on the track, she announced in 2016 that she had quit track to concentrate in marathon and road races, which it has been successful.

After graduating to the marathon, Cheruiyot won London Marathon in 2018 before finishing second behind Mary Keitany in 2019. She also grabbed a second-place finish at the 2018 New York Marathon.

A look at the latest from Adidas, Adizero Pro carbon-plated shoe

Adidas has announced the release date of its commercially available carbon-plated shoe. The Adizero Pro is made of a Carbitex carbon-plate, a Lightstrike midsole (padded by a bit of Boost at the heel) and a Continental rubber outsole.

The shoe will be available to select markets on April 1, 2020 and worldwide on May 15, 2020.

Prototype versions of this shoe have been seen on the feet of four-time New York Marathon Champion Mary Keitany, 10K world record-holder Rhonex Kipruto, and even in 2008, on the feet of the former marathon world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie.

This is the first time the company is using Lightstrike in a running shoes (a TPU foam that made its debut in basketball). Adidas believes Lightstrike’s combination of stability and energy return will be appreciated by runners, especially over the full marathon distance.

The Adidas prototype that debuted at the 2020 Houston Marathon isn’t the shoe that was announced today. The all-white shoe had very subtle markings, with huge stack height and a line through the midsole, that presumably sandwiches a carbon plate.

While this isn’t the prototype that is hitting the market this spring, it could be a version of the carbon-plated shoe that we’ll see in available commercially in the fall.

Adidas joins Saucony, New Balance, Hoka, Under Armour, Brooks and Nike, which all have announced the release of their latest carbon-plated shoes this spring.

New York marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei eyes London or Tokyo in 2020

New York marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei will gauge her fitness in cross country before coming to return to marathon running in April.

The 26-year-old, is still pinching herself after she staged one of the biggest coups in 2019 when running her only second marathon won in New York clocking an impressive 2:22:38, beating race favorite and defending champion Mary Keitany.

"It was a big surprise to me to win New York City marathon. Certainly, it was not in the plans because there were top contenders and I was there to make a new attempt to the distance after I had flopped in London," Keitany said on Monday.

Though she started light training after her run in New York, Jepkosgei said that it will be a while before she is fit to race again. However, she is open to run in Boston, London or Tokyo in 2020.

"The muscles still hurt and it is one day at a time. I was nervous at the start and I only realized that I could go for it after the halfway mark. The win crowned my season and beating my mentor was no mean task. Mary Keitany is up there with the greats in marathon and she will always win big races. The pressure was too much, but I took it in my stride."

She also won in June the New York half marathon clocking 70:07 minutes. But her winning time on New York race in November was just seven seconds off the course record.

"I always have the desire to take up challenges and I feel it is the right time to run the full marathon. I had already achieved in half marathon and taking up a new challenge was good for my career," she added.

In 2017, Jepkosgei smashed the world half-marathon record to become the first woman to run 21km in under 65 minutes. Brigid Kosgei later broke her record as she set 64.28 minutes.

Jepkosgei hopes one day she will be strong enough to challenge the world record in full marathon. Brigid Kosgei has reshuffled the tables with a fast run in Chicago in October when she posted a new world record of 2:14:04. She shreds Paula Radcliffe's record that had stood since 2003 of 2:15:25.

15 Mind-Blowing Race Moments From 2019-From Kipchoge to Kosgei and all of the upsets, records, and victories in between, 2019 was a major year for running.

1-Kosgei Shocks Everyone in Chicago-On October 13, Brigid Kosgei made history when she won the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:04. The Kenyan ran almost perfectly even splits to achieve her goal in the Windy City, passing the halfway mark in 1:06:59 before clocking 1:07:05 for the second half.

2-Eliud Kipchoge Dips Under 2-Hour Marathon Barrier-In his second attempt at breaking the two-hour barrier in the marathon, Eliud Kipchogeof Kenya accomplished the feat with a stunning run of 1:59:40 on the streets of Vienna in October.

3-Joan Samuelson Crushes Her Goal 40 Years After Boston Victory-In 1979, Joan Benoit Samuelson set a national and course record when she won the Boston Marathon as a 21-year-old college student. Forty years after her historic victory, Samuelson, 61, set out to run within 40 minutes of her winning time at the 2019 Boston Marathon. On April 15, the 1984 Olympic champion wore a similar Bowdoin College singlet to honor her 1979 win and shattered her goal, crossing the finish line in 3:04. “To be here, 40 years later and being able to run, let alone being able to run a marathon, I feel blessed,” she said.

4-Jim Walmsley Obliterates His Own Western States Record-Ultrarunning star Jim Walmsley maintained his Western States winning streak when he obliterated his own course record in June. Navigating 100 miles from Squaw Valley to Auburn, California, Walmsley broke the tape in 14 hours and 9 minutes, which broke his own course record by more than 20 minutes

5-Donavan Brazier Breaks 34-Year-Old American Record-Donavan Brazier had the race of his life when he broke one of the oldest American records on his way to winning gold in the 800 meters at the IAAF World Championshipsin Doha, Qatar. With 250-meters to go, Brazier ran away from the field to secure the first 800-meter world championship gold medal for the United States in a time of 1:42.34. 

6-Dalilah Muhammad Sets World Record Twice-Dalilah Muhammad made history twice this season when she broke the 400-meter hurdles world record and lowered it once again on her way to winning the world championships.

7-Sifan Hassan Wins Unprecedented Double at Worlds-At the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Sifan Hassan won two gold medals that no man or woman has achieved in the history of the world championships or Olympic Games. The Dutch runner, 26, kicked off the competition by winning the 10,000-meter final in a national record time of 30:17:33. 

8-Maggie Guterl Becomes First Woman to Win Backyard Ultra-For 60 hours straight, Maggie Guterl ran the same 4.2-mile trail loop to become the last runner standing in the Big’s Backyard Ultra race. The Durango, Colorado, native ran 250 miles on her way to becoming the first woman to win the brutal race that rewards the person who can run for the longest amount of time.

9-Geoffrey Kamworor Breaks Half Marathon World Record-Holding a 4:25-mile pace, Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya shattered the world record at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September, running 58:01. The performance, which was 17 seconds faster than the previous record, took place in the same city where the 26-year-old won his first of three half marathon world championship titles in 2014.

10-Joyciline Jepkosgei Debuts in NYC Marathon, Beats Mary Keitany-In her first marathon, Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya secured a title in a major upset. The half marathon world record-holder raced like a veteran in the New York City Marathonto beat four-time champion Mary Keitany in a winning time of 2:22:38, only seven seconds shy of the course record.

11-Kenenisa Bekele Wins Berlin Marathon 2 Seconds Shy of World Record-One year after Eliud Kipchoge set a world record that many believed would be untouchable for at least a few years, Kenenisa Bekele nearly surpassed it at the Berlin Marathon. The 37-year-old Ethiopian won the race in 2:01:41, just two seconds shy of Kipchoge’s record. 

12-Freshman Sha’Carri Richardson Shatters 100-meter Collegiate Record-In her first ever NCAA Outdoor Championship, Sha’Carri Richardson made history. In the 100-meter final, the LSU freshman sprinted to victory in a collegiate record of 10.75.

13-Drew Hunter, Athing Mu, and Colleen Quigley Win First Pro Titles-The USATF Indoor Championships brought out exciting breakthroughs for three young athletes. In the men’s 2-mile, 21-year-old Drew Hunter won the crown out of the “slower” heat by running a world-best time of 8:25.29. The women’s 600 meters was won by 16-year-old Athing Mu who defeated world silver medalist Raevyn Rogers in an American record time of 1:23.57.

14-BYU Snaps NAU’s Winning Streak at the NCAA Cross Country Championships-The Brigham Young team had a banner day at the NCAA Cross Country Championshipsin November. Battling muddy conditions, the BYU Cougars secured the team victory over three-time defending champions Northern Arizona in the men’s race. With a team total of 109 points, BYU beat NAU by 54 points to win the program’s first NCAA cross-country championship in history.

15-Joshua Cheptegei Sets 10K World Record After Winning Two World Titles-Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda capped off a banner year when he set a world record in the 10K on December 1, running 26:38 to win the 10K Valencia Trinidad Alfonso in Valencia, Spain. Earlier this year, he won the world cross-country championships and the world championship 10,000 meters in Doha, Qatar.

World marathon record holder, Mary Keitany said she is delighted that the national government through the president has finally rewarded her success

President Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday feted marathoner Mary Jepkosgei Keitany with the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) award during the Jamhuri Day celebrations garden party at State House, Nairobi.

Speaking to Nation Sport on Friday, Keitany said that the award came as a surprise to her at a time she is almost retiring from the sport.

“I’m happy that the president has finally rewarded my exploits in the sport. Since I started running, this is the first time I have been rewarded by the government,” said the former New York Marathon champion.

Keitany also said that after being rewarded, she feels energized and will be looking forward to a good season next year.

“The award has given me morale to continue working hard and I want to say that I will be training harder for better results next year. For now, I’m still recovering after the New York Marathon race which I managed to come in second,” said Keitany, who is also the former World Half Marathon record holder.

Keitany uses some of her race earnings to support development in her community having partnered with Shoe4Africa to build a school in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County.

Keitany becomes the second marathon star to be recognized by the president after world men's marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge who was feted with Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (E.G.H.) award during Mashujaa Day celebrations in October in Mombasa.

Edna Kiplagat, one of the world's top marathon runners plans to compete in the 2019 Manchester Road Race

One of the world's greatest marathon runners will compete at the 83rd Manchester Road Race on Thanksgiving Day. Race officials announced Monday that Edna Kiplagat, who won the 26.2-mile event at the World Championships in 2011 and 2013, will return to Manchester after a two-year absence.

She finished fourth at the 2016 MRR with a time of 24:34.

Kiplagat, who turns 40 on Nov., 15, grew up in Kenya and recently relocated to the Boulder, Colorado area. She won the 2017 Boston Marathon, the 2014 London Marathon, and the New York City and Los Angeles Marathons, both in 2010. Kiplagat recorded her best time for the event in 2012 when she placed second behind Mary Keitany at the London Marathon in 2:19:50.

The mother of five children and a former police physical fitness instructor in Kenya, Kipligat was the runner-up at the Boston Marathon last April, and finished fourth in the marathon at the 2019 World Championships, which were held last month in Doha, Qatar.

Kiplagat will join Olympic silver medalist Sally Kipyego in a highly competitive womens elite field at the annual 4.78-mile Thanksgiving Day run through Manchester's central streets.

The 83rd Manchester Road Race is scheduled will take place on Nov. 28 at 10 a.m.

Sinead Diver proved again that age is no barrier as the 42-year-old finished fifth at the New York City Marathon

Proving again that age is no barrier to the distance or pace of elite marathon running, Sinead Diver finished a superb fifth best woman in the New York Marathon, her time of 2:26:23 equally rewarding over what is one of the toughest of all the big city courses.

Improving on her seventh place finish in the London Marathon back in April, Diver was also closing fast on the fourth-placed Nancy Kiprop from Kenya, finishing just two seconds behind, the top four women all from the East African nations that typically dominate the long distances. 

Although quietly insistent about not making a big deal about her age, now just four months shy of her 43rd birthday, Diver’s performance is among the most impressive in the now 49 years of the New York Marathon, especially given the mother of two, who still works full-time as a software developer, only took up running at 33.

Her best time remains the 2:24:11 she clocked in London just six months ago, although New York is rarely a place to run records of any sort. Still very much the Irish woman running for Australia - as Diver is happy and proud to put it - it’s also the best Irish performance in the race after Mark Carroll took sixth place in the men’s race in 2002.

With outright victory and the $100,000 top prize going to Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2:22:38, just seven seconds shy of the course record and the second fastest women’s time ever run in New York, this was also one of the most competitive races in those 49 years.

Kenya’s four-time previous winner Mary Keitany was broken by Jepkosgei in the closing miles and ended up second in 2:23:33, with the top Ethiopian Ruti Aga, who won the Tokyo Marathon back in March, third in 2:25:51.

Unlike the other Marathon Majors, New York also doesn’t employ pacemakers, male or female, which also makes it a true run race. Diver actually put herself at the very front from just after the starting canon, setting the pace from the start on Staten Island and over the Verrazzano Bridge into Brooklyn.

Diver then endured a slight detour around the three-mile when directed to the wrong side of a course crash barrier, forcing her to duck under some race tap to escape, but she quickly regained her composure.

After the East African women pressed ahead before halfway, Diver held her own pace, passing halfway in 1:12:02, average out at 5:35-mile pace: the American Desiree Linden, former winner of the Boston Marathon, who also set the pace early on, was reeled in over the final miles and ended up sixth 2:26:46, still one of the fastest times by any American run in New York.

With around 52,500 starters, the biggest of the big city marathons, the testing course, winds through the Five Boroughs, before finishing up through the rolling hills of Central Park, rarely lets up and neither did Diver. 

“New York will be hilly and I prefer flat courses, but the experience of just racing for placing will be great practice leading into Tokyo,” she said beforehand, her 2:24:11 from London almost certain to get her on the start line for that Olympic marathon next summer, where she be will representing Australia, and the clearly now not unrealistic medal contender. 

New York will likely be her last marathon before the Olympics. Having missed out on Rio 2016 due to a knee injury caused by the cuboid bone in her foot, competing in Tokyo will be extra special for Diver.

Recently taking a small leave of absence from here full-time work as a software developer in order to prepare of for New York, she said: “If you feel good enough to do it then give it a go,” she says about racing so competitively at age 42. “Nobody else can tell you what your body is capable of. There is nothing to suggest that when you turn 40 you need to fall apart. It hasn’t happened for me and I feel fitter than I was ten years ago. If I can do it then I can’t see why other people can’t do it too.”

She’s come a long way from her native Belmullet in Mayo, then Limerick and now Melbourne, where she moved in 2002 with her Limerick-born husband Colin, now also home to their two sons young Eddie (nine) and Dara (six).

Just over a month ago she clocked an excellent 31:25:49 to finish 14th in the World Championships 10,000m in the searing heat of Doha, a world record for a woman over the age of 40. Her 2:24:11 in London improved by over a minute the 2:25:19 she ran to win the Melbourne Marathon in October 2018, that already the second fastest ever by an Irish woman, her London time now the third fastest by Australian standards.

Her remarkable running story (and unfortunate “switch” to Australia, after Athletics Ireland refused to select her for the 2015 World Championship marathon in Beijing) has been told before: within six months of winning Melbourne last year, Diver also improved her track times over 5,000m (15:23.65) and 10,000m (31:50.98), before running 1:08:55 for the half marathon in Japan in February, also the fastest ever time for a woman over the age of the 40. 

Geoffrey Kamworor made it a Kenyan double by winner the men’s race in 2:08:13, the best non-African finisher there being the American Jared Ward in sixth, in 2:10:45, making Diver the outright best non-African finisher on the day. Superb running by any standards.

Joyciline Jepkosgei wins the New York City marathon out running last year’s winner and Geoffrey Kamworor wins the men race

The world record holder for the women's half marathon running 1:04:51 in 2017, Joyciline Jepkosgei in her marsthon debut out-ran last year's winner Mary Keitany to win this year's New York City Marathon clocking 2:22:38. Keitany finished second in 2:23:32.  Both are from Kenya. 

Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden lead much of the first half and held on to be the first American placing sixth running 2:26:49 just three seconds ahead of Kellyn Taylor also from the US who ran an amazing well paced race.  

Australian, 42-year-old Sinead Diver placed 5th clocking 2:26:23.  At one point early she took the lead and looked in control. 

It was 46 degrees at the start and the wind at points did slow down the times.  Over 52,000 runners started.  

Kenyan's Geoffrey Kamworor who set the world record for the half marathon in Copenhagen running 58:01 in September ran away from the field to win the men's race clocking 2:08:13.  This was his second win. Albert Korir placed second clocking 2:08:36.

Jared Ward was sixth overall and first American clocking 2:10:45. There were many outstanding performances today. 71-year-old Gene Dykes finish with 3:11:19.  

Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei is targeting the women's only world record held by Mary Keitany of 2:17:01 during the 2020 season

Aiyabei, who is a former Beijing Marathon champion, has thrown her hat in the ring and is seeking to conquer any of the six World Marathon Majors (WMM) course in 2020 alongside making it to the Kenya team for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 28-year-old ran the fifth-fastest women's marathon time in Frankfurt last Sunday after recording 2:19:10 to break the previous course record of 2:20:36 set by Ethiopia's Meskerem Assefa in 2018.

"I know I can run faster. I now target the women's record of Keitany, which was set two years ago in London. Then maybe I can start dreaming of challenging Brigid Kosgei's women's marathon record," Aiyabei said on Thursday in Nairobi after arriving from Frankfurt.

It has taken over a decade for Kosgei to break the women's all-time world record of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe in London back in 2003. Kosgei clocked 2:14:01 to break the 16-year-old mark.

"My plan is to break the record in any of the World Marathon Majors. I will plan with my coaches to see which race is convenient for me and my mission," Aiyabei added.

New York, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, Boston, and London races form the WRR series with the Olympics and World Championships being part of the circuit.

But Aiyabei hopes her performance in Frankfurt will open doors for her to secure a call to run in either Tokyo, Boston or London in April.

"That record can be broken. But it's rather safe to start with the women's only record and then push for Kosgei's mark later. It all depends on one's mental strength, psyche and how you train. I have a dream to lower Kosgei's record and I believe with God's blessings, it will come to pass," added Aiyabei.

Already Kosgei has called out on sponsors to fund her training to try and make history, similar way Olympic Champion Eliud Kipchoge did in Vienna with the INEOS 1:59 Challenge.

"I believe women can run below two hours and ten minutes," said Kosgei. "I can run faster than the time I set in Chicago."

That spirit has also given Aiyabei the belief she can control her own destiny and push herself to break the world record.

"Kosgei's feat was very inspiring and I have decided to emulate her and make another step in my career," she said.

Four-time champion Mary Keitany is on a mission as she targets to win the New York Marathon for a fifth time on Sunday

The all-women marathon World Record holder won the NYC Marathon for the fourth Time last year after beating compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot and USA’s Shalane Flanagan, who came in second and third, respectively, by more than three minutes. Keitany previously won the race in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

In an exclusive interview with Nation Sport, Keitany said she has prepared well and is ready to fight for the title.

“I’m ready to go to New York and fight to defend my title again for the fifth time having won it four times. I know it’s not easy, but I’m certain the three months training I have undergone will enable me to do my best,” said Keitany.

“I’m happy that I have won the race (New York Marathon) several times and again if I’m to win this time it will turn out historical. To me and my family, winning this marathon the fifth time will be a great achievement.”

For the fourth time in five years, Keitany sped past more than 50,000 runners to win the women’s race with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 48 seconds last year. This made her time the second fastest in the history of the New York race. Kenya's Margaret Okayo holds the course record of 2:22:31 set in 2003.

Keitany joined Grete Waitz as the only woman to win the New York City Marathon four times or more. She will have to win a few more times to beat Waitz’s record, though. Between 1978 and 1988, the Norwegian runner won the marathon nine times.

Keitany said that the secret to prosperity requires athletes to train well and athletes must learn to persevere because nothing comes easy. She said one should have a dream and must be focused. They ought to have an attitude and should be mentally focused so as to fulfil their goals.

For Keitany, discipline and perseverance are key in her sports career. "You must put God first for you to prosper," she said.

The athlete said training may not be easy but athletes must be disciplined if they are to succeed in sports. Some promising athletes have destroyed their careers due to indiscipline.

Keitany set the women-only marathon record when she won the London Marathon in 2017. She has also held records for best half marathon time and best 10-mile time. She also has titles from London Marathon she won in 2012, 2016, and 2017.

Brigid Kosgei Breaks the World Record at the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei shattered a 16-year-old world record in the women’s marathon by 81 seconds, winning the Chicago Marathon in 2:14:04 on Sunday.

Paula Radcliffe had held the record of 2:15:25 set at the 2003 London Marathon. Kenyan Mary Keitany holds the female-only record of 2:17:01 from the 2017 London Marathon. Both Kosgei and Radcliffe, the only women to break 2:17, ran with men in their record races.

Radcliffe’s record was the longest-standing for the men’s or women’s marathon of the last 50 years.

Kosgei did it one day after Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a non-record-eligible event in Vienna. She won by a gaping 6 minutes, 47 seconds over Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh.

Kosgei, who won Chicago in 2018 and the London Marathon in April, came in highly favored. The 25-year-old tuned up with the fastest half-marathon ever by a woman (by 23 seconds) on Sept. 8 on a non-record-eligible course.

“2:10 is possible,” Kosgei reportedly said after Sunday’s record.

Jordan Hasay, the top U.S. woman in the field, crossed 5km at a slow 22:20 and registered no further timings. Hasay, who was coached by Alberto Salazar before his ban in a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency case, is one of several women in contention for the three Olympic spots at the Feb. 29 trials in Atlanta.

Kenyan Lawrence Cherono won the men’s race by one second over Ethiopian Dejene Debela in 2:05:45.

Galen Rupp, reportedly dropped out in the final miles. He began fading from the lead pack before the 10-mile mark in his first race since last year’s Chicago Marathon. Rupp, who was also coached by Salazar, is coming back from Achilles surgery.

Mo Farah, the defending champion and four-time Olympic track gold medalist, finished eighth in 2:09:58. He also dropped from the leaders before the halfway point.

Kosgei raced her way to an early lead, breaking far away from her pack and continuing on pace to break not just a course but the woman’s world record. 

Kosgei has literally been unbeatable in 2019.

Kosgei wowed fans in 2017 with a second-place finish, but she made an even bigger splash last fall when she won the race with third-fastest time in Chicago's history.

Nine-time U.S. champion Aliphine Tuliamuk has been added to the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon

Aliphine Tuliamuk will race her second TCS New York City Marathon and has had previous success in Central Park with three consecutive podium finishes at the 2016, 2017, and 2018 NYRR New York Mini 10K.

Earlier this year, she finished third at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:26:48, becoming the first American woman to hit the Olympic qualifying standard for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa, winner of the 2019 Boston Marathon, has scratched from the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon after suffering from metatarsalgia in her left foot which caused her to lose too much training time.

This year’s professional athlete field will include all four previously announced defending champions: Kenya’s Mary Keitany, Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, the United States’ Daniel Romanchuk, and Switzerland’s Manuela Schär. Keitany will go for her fifth career title in New York, Schär will race for her third consecutive crown, and Desisa and Romanchuk will look to post back-to-back victories.

In total, 13 Olympians and 18 Paralympians will toe the line, including Rio 2016 U.S. Olympians Des Linden and Jared Ward and 17-time U.S. Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden.

The 2019 TCS New York City Marathon will be televised live on Sunday, November 3, on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York tristate area, throughout the rest of the nation on ESPN2, and around the world through various international broadcasters.

The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and the signature event of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization.

The race is held annually on the first Sunday of November and includes over 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, including over 9,000 charity runners. Participants from over 125 countries tour the diverse neighborhoods of New York City’s five boroughs—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Race morning also features the Rising New York Road Runners Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon, a race within Central Park that ends at the marathon finish line.

More than one million spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the city’s streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the globally televised broadcast. The race is a founding member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York.  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon.

Ethiopia’s Bekelech Gudeta Borecha will make her Debut at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

A first-time marathon requires a great leap of faith as any distance runner can attest. And so it is that Ethiopian distance star Bekelech Gudeta, who will turn 22 nine days before the race, enters the unknown at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon tackling one of the strongest women’s fields assembled on Canadian soil. Though she has no experience at the classic marathon distance she has performed admirably these past two years in the half marathon, running under 1:08 on three occasions, most recently on September 15th. That time of 1:07:21 earned her 6th place in the Copenhagen Half Marathon, which, like Toronto, is an IAAF Gold Label race. A year ago, she recorded her personal best 1:07:03 on the same course.

"I am really happy to start the marathon," she reveals. " have run some half marathons and I think I can run a (good) marathon as a half marathon is a quicker pace than the marathon. I started preparation for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon from June. My target is to run a fast time in Toronto."

The women’s course record in Toronto is 2:22:29 and was set a year ago by Mimi Belete the Ethiopian who now runs for Bahrain. This doesn’t seem to faze Gudeta.

"My coach is Dawit Hiluf and he is telling me that I can run sub 2:22 in my first marathon," she says. "He is telling me the athletes with 1:07 in the half marathon have run 2:19 to 2:21 in the marathon and he is telling me it is possible to run fast in the first marathon. He is telling me that the Toronto marathon has a fast course. We expect to see me on the Toronto marathon podium with a fast time."

What gives her more confidence is that she has increased her training volume significantly this year but did not reduce it for her Copenhagen appearance. Training through Copenhagen and still coming away with a time just 18 seconds slower than her best must have been satisfying to her and her coach.

"Last year I was doing 100km per week now it’s 160 - 170km. So, I was expecting to run 1:05 (in Copenhagen) but this year there was too much wind. We ran against the wind. Especially when I dropped from the leading group it was difficult. But I am happy as I ran sub 68 for my third time."

Gudeta is a member of a training group put together by Volare Sports, a Netherlands based sports management company. It includes Hiwot Gebrekidan (2nd in Ottawa in both 2017 and 2018) Betelhem Moges (2nd in Ottawa 2019) and Abeba Gebremeskel (2nd place Seville marathon 2019). Like other runners she lives in the Ararat area of Addis, Ethiopia’s capital and shares a ride to training sites outside the city.

"Our training is in different places around Addis most of time we train in Sululta, Sendafa, Kaliti, Entoto, Sebeta and around Ararat inside Addis," she continues.

"We have a Volare team bus and we meet 3-4 times per week training program with a team. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and sometimes Sunday we train together with the team and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we have easy training separately. When we are not with the team I train around Ararat."

Bekelech has not always lived in Addis. She was born in Shona just 50 kilometers outside the capital. After being introduced to running at school and having some success one of her brothers encouraged her to move to Addis and become a serious runner. She credits him with her success.

In Toronto she will face her experienced compatriots Dibaba Kuma, Eshetu Biruktayit and Hiwot Gebrekidan as well as Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai and Ruth Chebitok.

While the Toronto Waterfront Marathon signifies a dramatic change in direction for Bekelech Gudeta she sees it as a step towards meeting her ultimate goals.

"My goal is be a world class athlete like (Kenya’s four-time New York Marathon champion) Mary Keitany and Tirunesh Dibaba (three-time Olympic champion from Ethiopia)," she declares. " have represented my country during the World Half Marathon Championship last year in Valencia and I was 8th place. I want to represent Ethiopia again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics or in other Olympics. It is my dream as a runner."

Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot has pulled out of the Berlin marathon, citing a recurrent tendon injury

Vivian Cheruiyot, 36, confirmed on Friday from Eldoret, that she will pass up the chance to compete in what would have been her sixth marathon. Instead, she will depart on Tuesday for Germany to seek medical help, which she hopes will put to rest her injury predicaments for good.

"It is frustrating after a lot of training, the injury flared up again. It has been my waterloo throughout my career and with my vast age, I need to take time to heal. I will not be running in Berlin," Cheruiyot said.

Cheruiyot has registered wins in Frankfurt and London and two second-place finishes in London and New York plus a fourth-place performance in her debut also in London back in 2017.

However, she was adamant that she will overcome her injury and compete at either the London or Boston marathon in April.

"It will take about two months to heal properly. I will take my time to see to it that it gets well and there is no pain in my legs when I run. I hope to be back running in December," she added.

Cheruiyot will now link up with manager Ricky Simms in Germany to plan her rehabilitation.

"There is a good physiotherapist in Germany, which my manager has planned to consult. I will go and get his expert opinion and then we will talk on what program I need to take," she said.

The London marathon silver medalist said she will be ready to contest for a slot in the Kenya team for the 2020 Tokyo marathon.

With Cheruiyot out, fans will still have a strong race in Berlin with defending champion and three-time winner Gladys Cherono seeking to retain her title. There is also Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and the 2015 world champion, in the marathon.

In the past 12 years, the men's race at the Berlin Marathon has produced a string of world-class times with six world records into the bargain and the presence of Cherono and Cheruiyot could see them headline a show-stealing performance from the elite women in general.

"We are naturally delighted that we will be having the defending champion Cherono on the start line," said Race Director Mark Milde.

"Compared to the men, the women in Berlin have some ground to make up. With three very strong contenders in the line-up, the women's race on September 29 could be center stage."

The world marathon record stands at 2:17:01 for women only race posted by Mary Keitany back in 2017.

Brigid Kosgei breaks half marathon world best time clocking 1:04:28 at Great North Run as Mo Farah wins sixth title finishing in 59:06

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei has broken the world half marathon record at the Great North Run, finishing in a time of 1hr 04min 28sec. Kenya’s women filled the top four places, but Kosgei finished more than three minutes ahead of the second-placed Magdalyne Masai (1:07:36), with Linet Masai third and the three-times winner Mary Keitany fourth.

Being that the course is point to point and slightly down hill the time will not qualify for an official world record.  

Britain’s Charlotte Purdue finished fifth in 1:08:10 and will be buoyed by her form as she prepares for the World Athletics Championships in Doha later this month.

Sir Mo Farah won the men’s elite race for a record sixth successive year. The four-times Olympic track gold medallist was pushed hard by Tamirat Tola but the 36-year-old proved too strong for the Ethiopian in the final mile, to finish the 13.1-mile half marathon course in 59:06.

Tola, 7sec behind Farah, crossed the line 42sec ahead of the third-placed Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, with Britain’s Callum Hawkins coming home fourth in 1:00:39.

British men finished first and third in the men’s wheelchair race as David Weir came home first in 43:31 ahead of the Canadian Brent Lakatos (43:36) and Simon Lawson (45:58).

In the women’s wheelchair race, Jade Hall triumphed in 50:15 ahead of her fellow Briton Shelly Woods (51:41) and the third-placed Pole Martyna Snopek (1:06:38).

Kenyans Mary Keitany and Brigid Kosgei will clash on the streets of Newcastle, U.K. in the Great North Run on Sunday

The two last met in London in April, with Kosgei snatching the gold medal in dominant style heralding a changing of the guard from the aging Keitany to the new girl on the bloc.

But the veteran Keitany will seek another chance to prove she is no spent force in their big clash over the half marathon distance in Newcastle, in a race won last year by Vivian Cheruiyot with Kosgei coming in second.

Keitany is preparing for the defense of her New York Marathon title on November 3, while Kosgei will be putting her Chicago Marathon gold on the line on October 13.

"Another chance to gauge my preparations for Chicago Marathon. I will be running in Newcastle," said Kosgei on Wednesday.

Keitany has a PB of 64:55 for the half marathon, whereas Kosgei clocked a best of 65:28 for the 13.1 mile-distance earlier this year.

2009 world 10,000m champion Linet Masai, together with her younger sister Magdalyne Masai, will also bolster the Kenyan presence in Newcastle.

The leading locals in the women's race at the Great North Run are Charlotte Purdue and Steph Twell.

In the men's race, Britain's Mo Farah will face opposition from Ethiopia's world marathon silver medalist Tamirat Tola, world fourth-placer Callum Hawkins and training partner Bashir Abdi.

There is big British interest in the event, with Purdue using the race as part of her build up to this year's World Marathon Championships in Doha.

Kenya’s Nancy Kiprop, a three-time winner of Vienna City Marathon, said Wednesday she is ready to earn big city status in distance running by securing victory at the New York City Marathon on November 3

The 40-year-old is a late bloomer and wants to secure marathon’s top-priced title before her final bow and transition to the master’s category.

“I am looking forward to my first big city marathon debut in New York City. This will culminate to reward my years of hard work, learning and growth,” Kiprop said.

Inspired by her latest win in Vienna, Kiprop will take on countrywoman and defending champion Mary Keitany, world half marathon record holder Joyceline Jepkosgei and America’s Olympian Des Linden.

The former Valencia marathon silver medalist remains optimistic of pulling a surprise in New York despite her time being the fourth-fastest among the elite.

“Time and past records count for less on the race day. I always believe in myself. Only three athletes are above me and there is a big gap between 2:18 and 2:22 but that won’t worry me much. I have finally matured for the big races unlike in the past. ran 2:22.12.I am ready to battle for the title,” said Kiprop.

Last year, Keitany, who is the world record holder, became the second woman after Grete Waitz of Norway to win in New York four times, recording the second-fastest time in the event history in 2:22:48 for her fourth win in five years.

“I’m very excited to return on November 3 to race for my fifth New York City Marathon title on my favorite course in the world,” Keitany said.

Shalane Flanagan went for her first post-surgery run–12 minutes of run-walking on an anti-gravity treadmill

It’s been four months since 2017 NYC Marathon winner and 2018 third-place finisher Shalane Flanagan had surgery to repair her severely damaged right patellar tendon, and yesterday she happily posted a photo of her first post-surgery run–on a Woodway Boost anti-gravity treadmill–on Instagram.

“I still know how to run!” Flanagan posted. She reports that she ran two-and-ones (two minutes running, one minute walking) for 12 “bliss-filled” minutes at 70 to 77 per cent of her bodyweight. “I was soooooooo excited for today that I actually laid out my running clothes last night (just like I would do before the first day of school when I was a kid).”

Flanagan’s surgery was a patellar tendon allograft and chondroplasty, meaning tissue from a recently deceased person (actually from the hamstring of a 21-year-old) was used to repair her patellar tendon, which was then anchored to her tibia with three screws.

The tissue donor’s family was willing to have her know their identity, and Flanagan reached out to thank them with a personal letter. “I’m moved beyond words knowing what a gift I’ve been given,” she posted.

Anti-gravity treadmills are commonly used to aid in athlete rehabilitation. Air pressure technology allows the athlete to reduce impact while running, and they can transition gradually to supporting their full body weight. According to her posts, Flanagan has been walking and doing strengthening workouts in the gym for some time. Looks like it’s too soon to say when we might see her back on the racing circuit.

In 2017 Flanagan became the first American woman to win the TCS New York City Marathon in 40 years. In 2018 she finished third behind Mary Keitany and Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya.

Runners of all varieties can draw some lessons from Flanagan’s experience: one, don’t take your ability to run for granted. Two, don’t give in to discouragement if you’re injured and can’t run. 

Canadian Sasha Gollish is set to race the TCS New York City Marathon this fall

Sasha Gollish will join defending champion Mary Keitany, 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden, 2019 Boston champion Worknesh Degefa, and half-marathon world record-holder Joyciline Jepkosgei on the start line on Staten Island in November. 

Sinead Diver of Australia, 2019 Comrades Marathon champion Gerda Steyn of South Africa and Americans Sara Hall, Allie Kieffer, Lindsey Scherf and Kellyn Taylor round out the exceptionally deep field of women athletes racing New York this year.

On the men’s side, notable names include defending champion Lelisa Desisa, 2017 champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Somali-American Abdi Abdirahman, Ethiopians Shura Kitata and Tamirat Tola and American Jared Ward, who finished eighth at this year’s Boston Marathon.

Gollish had a long and successful career in track and cross-country, winning bronze in the 1,500m at the 2015 Pan Am Games before attempting her debut marathon attempt at Berlin last year. 

She was forced to drop out just after the 30K mark with severe cramping, but had a very successful comeback at Houston in January, finishing in 2:32 just behind fellow Canadian Malindi Elmore, who was also taking her first stab at the marathon distance.

Gollish, it should be pointed out, has the world championship standard in the marathon (2:37:00), and so far only Lyndsay Tessier has been named to Team Canada. Athletics Canada will announce the full team on August 26.

Kellyn Taylor will join to Top U.S. Women field at the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon

When Kellyn Taylor was plotting the lead up to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, she had already checked “run a fast marathon time” off her to-do list, by way of the 2:24:28 she clocked at the 2018 Grandma’s Marathon. What else did she want to accomplish before the big show?

“I’ve done New York City once and it was my highest placing [in a major marathon] ever,” Taylor said, during a phone interview with Women’s Running. “It was my favorite marathon to date. For me, it’s more about not feeling stagnant before the Trials—I perform best when I come off a big buildup.”

The tactical nature of the New York City Marathon, combined with the hillier terrain of the course will serve as good practice for the Trials course that she’ll run on February 29, in Atlanta. And the competition she’ll face? On the American side, it will also look familiar, joined by a stellar international presence as well.

New York City Marathon officials announced the full professional field on Tuesday, and it includes Mary Keitany of Kenya, the defending champion who has won the race four times already. It also includes Ruti Aga of Ethiopia with a 2:18:34 personal best, and Worknesh Degefa, also of Ethiopia, who has a 2:17:41 best and won the 2019 Boston Marathon. Joyciline Jepkosgei, the world record holder in the half marathon (1:04:51) from Kenya is also slated to compete.

Taylor will face off with a number of U.S. women who she’ll compete with in February at the Trials, where the top three finishers will earn a place on the 2020 Olympic team. Desiree Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion and two-time Olympian, will race, as well as Sara Hall, who has a 2:26:20 best. Allie Kieffer (2:28:12) is scheduled to return to racing, too, after tending to injuries over the past year, along with Diane Nukuri.

When Taylor ran the 2017 New York City Marathon, she placed eighth in 2:29:56. She came away with a few key lessons she’ll try to remember on November 3.

“Having faith in your abilities is the biggest thing. The last time, I didn’t make the first big move that everybody else made and found myself separated from the pack,” she said. “I ran the fastest mile of anybody in that race when I caught back up to them, so I need to put myself in it. That’s when the magic happens.”

Taylor is coming off a third-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the U.S.A. Track & Field Outdoor Championships, which is her best finish at a national track championships. It leaves her with another notch of confidence heading into 2020.

Defending champions Mary Keitany and Lelisa Desisa will return to the TCS New York City Marathon

Keitany will go for her fifth career title in New York and Desisa will be gunning for a second.

Last year Keitany became the second woman to win in New York in the open division four times, recording the second-fastest time in event history in 2:22:48.

It was her fourth win in five years to become the only woman other than Grete Waitz to win the race four times. Keitany is the women-only marathon world record-holder (2:17:01) and a two-time winner of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, having taken the series titles in 2012 and 2016.

Keitany will be challenged this year by 2019 Boston Marathon champion Worknesh Degefa, 2019 Tokyo Marathon champion Ruti Aga, 2019 NYC Half champion Joyceline Jepkosgei, and 2018 Boston Marathon champion and two-time U.S. Olympian Des Linden.

Joining them at the starting line will also be a strong group of US 2020 Olympic team contenders including Allie Kieffer, Sara Hall, and Kellyn Taylor.

Desisa won his first New York title last year after finishing on the podium three times previously. He held off fellow Ethiopian Shura Kitata by two seconds to finish in 2:05:59, the second-fastest time in event history. Desisa also has two Boston Marathon titles to his name, having won in 2013 and 2015.

Runner-up Kitata will be back again this year to challenge Desisa, as will 2017 winner Geoffrey Kamworor, who finished third last year.

The US contingent will be led by U.S. Olympians Jared Ward and Abdi Abdirahman.

Kenyans Joyciline Jepkosgei and Alex Korio, won the 2019 TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth

Jepkosgei clocked 31:05 at Beach to Beach, the fastest since Mary Keitany's 30:41 course record in 2017. Korio, a late entrant, ran an unofficial 27:35, seconds away from Gilbert Okari's 16-year-old course record of 27:28

Jepkosgei's personal bests at the distance include 29:43 on the road and 31:28 on the track. She currently holds non-IAAF considered world records in both the half-marathon and 10,000-meter, set in the same race in 2017.

Korio's time beat his previous road course PB of 27:48.

Ellsworth's Dan Curts, a recent Iowa State University graduate, was the top Maine men's finisher. His time was one of the best the division's seen. Curts was the 2019 Big 12 outdoor champ at 5,000 meters.

Falmouth High School student Sofie Matson, 16, was the top Maine women's finisher, while 2016 Olympian Emily Infeld was the top American.

The Kenyan marathon team has worked extra hard and hopes to sweep this year's World Championships in Doha, Qatar in October

Kenya's marathon team head coach Richard Metto says Kiplagat, who is the Boston marathon silver medalist and her colleagues, Dubai Marathon champion, Ruth Chepngetich and Sally Chepyego will be hard to beat and hopes they sweep the medals in the marathon.

"Kiplagat returns inspired seeking a hat-trick of gold medals at the World Championships. It will be her fifth attempt and she has won a medal in each of the three races she was involved in Daegu, Korea and in Moscow, Russia. It's only in Beijing 2015 that she finished fifth. I don't think the team requires another motivation," Metto said on Thursday in Nairobi.

The men's team has defending champion Geoffrey Kirui, Amos Kipruto, who finished second in Berlin Marathon last year and the 2018 Paris Marathon champion Paul Lonyangata.

But speaking in Ngong, in the outskirts of Nairobi where the team is training, Kiplagat revealed she still has the hunger to excel in marathon despite being 39-years-old.

"I still have a dream to win a third marathon title at the World Championships," said Kiplagat. "It will go down well with my record in dominating the world championships."

Kiplagat finished fifth in Beijing as defending champion and was second in London losing to Bahrain's Rose Chelimo.

Chepngetich, the fastest marathoner this year after her exploits at the Dubai Marathon with a course record in a time of 2:17.07, says the country has an abundance of talent.

"Depending on how the training goes, I think we have a very strong team. Kenya has never lacked talent in the marathon," she said.

Chepngetich who cites her victory in the Turkish capital last year, where she set a new course record of 2:19.35, as her best race so far says she is training adequately for that particular event.

"It all goes down to preparation, I believe nothing is impossible when one has prepared well," said the athlete.

Despite Chepngetich being the third fastest woman in the history of the marathon after Briton Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25) and Kenya's Mary Keitany (2:17:01), she still does not see the need of having a coach.

"I will not be having one any time soon, I think training with my colleagues does well for me. Some athletes think I am weird, but I like it that way," she added.