Jepchirchir now eyes dream run in London Marathon

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir is back and ready for a dream marathon run on the streets on London.

The 2023 London Marathon, which will be run next Sunday (April 23), will be Jepchirchir’s first in more than seven months, and her first major event since winning the Boston Marathon on April 18 last year.

After winning in Boston last year, Jepchirchir finished fifth at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K on June 11, and earned a call-up to Team Kenya for World Athletics Championships only to get an injury.

She staged a return to finish second at the Great North Run Half Marathon in Newcastle, England on September 11, clocking 1:07:07, losing the battle to compatriot Hellen Obiri, who timed 1:07:05.

Jepchirchir may have won the Olympics marathon gold, which is every athlete’s dream but competing in the London Marathon has always been her main target.

“Here I am and dreaming about how I will hit the streets of the British capital city in one of the most prestigious marathon races,” said Jepchirchir. “I thank God that the gluteus muscle injury that had bothered me for a while is healed.”

Jepchirchir, who is set to complete her training with a 21 kilometre race today in Kapsabet, Nandi County, leaves the country on Wednesday for the 43rd edition of the London Marathon is scheduled for April 23.

It will be Jepchirchir’s third World Marathon Majors race, having won 2021 New York City Marathon in two hours, 22 minutes and 38 seconds, and 2022 Boston Marathon in 2:21:01.

Jepchirchir said the injury left her frustrated as she missed out on World Athletics Championships last July in Oregon, USA.

“You see, there are injuries that you can feel coming and you try all your best to treat and massage so as to keep going, but this particular one came suddenly. I was shocked. I have h had to heal completely before resuming training.”

Likening herself to a bubbly lambkin, Jepchirchir, the 2016 and 2020 world half marathon champion, said she feels fresh, healthy and happy to be back.

Jepchirchir reckons that the world could never have asked for a better field than the one headed for the women’s London Marathon.

“This is the best field one can ever think about and it gives me stomach butterflies,” said Jepchirchir with a telling laugh. “But I am ready for it since I will always draw inspiration from my victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

The sumptuous heavy loaded field has Jepchirchir, the Olympic champion, World champion and world record holder besides 10 athletes who have run under two hours and 18 minutes. 

Jepchirchir has a personal best 2:17:16 from 2020 Valencia. 

The field has Olympic marathon silver medallist Brigid Kosgei, who is the world record holder with her time of 2:14:04 and World champion Ethiopia’s Yalemzef Yehualaw, who has a personal best 2: 17:23.

Yehualaw, who has the second fastest person in the field, leads a strong Ethiopian legion of the 2022 Berlin marathon champion Tigist Assefa, 2016 Rio Olympics 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana(2:17:20) and 1,500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba (2:18:05).

“The 2020 Tokyo Olympics inspires me because I faced a similar strong field that I will come up against in London like Kosgei and 2019 world marathon champion Ruth Chepngétich,”said Jepchirchir. "Mark you, the Tokyo Olympics was my third international major marathon."

Jepchirchir notes that the opportunity for the Tokyo Olympics came at the right time when she was still energetic.

It will be Jepchirchir’s first race in over seven months and her first major since winning the Boston Marathon on April 18 last year, her first race of that season.

She would then finish fifth at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K on June 11 before earning a call up to Team Kenya for the world championships only to get an injury.

She staged a return to finish second at the Great North Run Half Marathon in Newcastle, England on September 11, clocking 1:07:07, losing the battle to compatriot Hellen Obiri, who timed 1:07:05.