Jepchirchir keeps eyes on the prize

World Half Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will line up for the Valencia Marathon on Sunday.

Jepchirchir, who has been training in Kapsabet, Nandi County, will be joined by her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei, who is also the New York Marathon champion, Joan Chelimo and debutant Fancy Chemutai.

Jepchirchir, who broke her own world record last month in Gdynia, Poland during the World Half Marathon Championships, wants to improve her personal best.

“I took a break after the World Half Marathon Championships before embarking on serious training for the Valencia race. I will do my best because I will be competing against tough opponents who have better times than me,” said Jepchirchir.

She said her preparations in Kapsabet went well and her only challenge was training alone unlike the previous times where she could join a big group for long runs in the morning.

“I have had challenges while training, but I’m happy because the year has been good to me having participated in various races, I will be ending the year well. Training in a group pushes you to the limit and that is why we are looking forward to a better season next year,”  said Jepchirchir.

The athlete ran a world record (women) only during the Prague Half Marathon race in September where she won the race in one hour, five minutes and 34 seconds (1:05:34) before she reduced her own record during the World Half Marathon Championships to 1:05:16 on October 17.

Another competitor Jepkosgei, who is a Kenya Defence Forces officer, will be looking forward to a podium finish.

Jepkosgei has been training in Iten after participating in the World Half Marathon Championships and finished in sixth position after clocking her season’s best of 1:05:58.

“I have done good preparations and I’m happy that I will be running a marathon before the year ends. It has been a challenging year, but we hope the virus will be contained next year so that we can have our lives back,” she said.

Chelimo, the other participant, who also trains in Iten, is focusing on a podium finish. She said that the race will be the most competitive in her career.

The Kenyans will be competing against some of the fastest athletes who include the 2019 Tokyo Marathon champion Ethiopian Ruti Aga, who has a personal best of 2:18:34 and is the fastest woman in the field as well as her compatriot Birhane Dibaba, who is just one second slower at 2:18:35.

Also in the race is Mare Dibaba, the 2015 world champion, Zeineba Yimer (2:19:28), Tigist Girma (2:19:52) and Tigist Girma who’ve run sub-2:20.

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