Chepkirui travelling from Kipchimchim to Berlin with hope

Commonwealth 10,000 metres bronze medalist Sheila Chepkirui is confident of securing a podium position in only her second major marathon appearance at Sunday’s Berlin Marathon.

Chepkirui, who trains at Kipchimchim in Kericho County, shares her aspirations being that she is the only Kenyan in the women's elite field on Sunday after her compatriot, Margaret Wangare, pulled out of the race in the last minute due to injury.

Nation Sport spent some time with the soft-spoken Chepkirui after her training in Kericho where she expressed her confidence for a good race after good preparations in the last three months.

Chepkirui finished fourth in her World Marathon Majors debut at the London Marathon in April this year where she clocked two hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds.

Her target is to even register a faster time on Sunday.

The Berlin Marathon will be her third race, and she will be aiming to improve on her personal best time of 2:17:29 she attained in her debut at the Valencia Marathon in December last year.

“I know it won’t be an easy task especially after being in the start list as a lone ranger after my compatriot pulled out, but I’m going to work hard. For my fans, I would just ask them to remember us in prayers as Kenyans so that we can register good results,” said Chepkirui.

Despite the fact that she made her full marathon debut less than a year ago, the 32-year-old Chepkirui is a seasoned athlete who has transitioned through different races beginning with 1,500 metres before shifting to 5,000m and later 10,000m races.

“The main thing in a marathon is to focus and it depends how you have prepared. The 42-kilometre race is not easy and if you don’t calculate well, you might drop in the last few kilometres to the finish line and that is why it is good to prepare well,” she said.

Chepkirui, who is under the Ikaika Sports management, added that her management and Adidas has been so much supportive because they have walked the athletics journey with her since 2016 and her life has since changed for the better.

“It took me a few weeks to recover after the London Marathon, but I started my training immediately because I have to follow a certain programme so that I can be able to finish well.

“Berlin is a fast race and I know athletes are prepared but I will also do my best to make the podium,” she added.

Chepkirui, who was born in Kipchichim in Kericho County, discovered her talent while still in primary school where she first represented Kenya at the then World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, back in 2005 where she bagged a gold medal in the 1,500m race while in standard eight.

In 2016, she represented Kenya at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Yaounde, Cameroon, where she bagged a silver medal in the senior women's race.

She later that year bagged a gold medal in the women's 5,000m race at the Africa Athletics Championships in Durban South Africa.

The following year, she finished seventh in the women's 5,000m at the World Championships in London with her recent national assignment being last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Chepkirui, who also boasts of a half marathon personal best of 64:36, is the second fastest in this year's Berlin Marathon women's elite runners, behind defending champion, Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa, who ran a breathtaking 2:15:37 in last year's edition.

Chepkirui's lifetime bests

3,000m: 8:45.94

5,000m: 14:54.05

10,000m: 30:45.81

10km: 29:46

Half Marathon: 1:04:36

Marathon: 2:17:29