Jepchirchir to warm up for Paris Olympics with London marathon
Kenya's Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir wins her third world half marathon title at the at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia on October 1, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The 30-year-old Jepchirchir is back in training, having recovered from a calf injury that saw her withdraw from the New York City Marathon on November 5 last year
- Jepchirchir, the winner of the 2021 New York City Marathon and 2022 Boston Marathon, will be eying her third World Marathon Majors (WMM) victory after finishing third in the British capital last year
- Jepchirchir said a good performance in London will be key to her Olympic title defence during the Paris Summer Games scheduled from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital
Olympic marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir, is set for her second appearance at the London Marathon scheduled for April 21, this year in the British capital.
The 30-year-old Jepchirchir is back in training, having recovered from a calf injury that saw her withdraw from the New York City Marathon on November 5 last year.
Jepchirchir, the winner of the 2021 New York City Marathon and 2022 Boston Marathon, will be eying her third World Marathon Majors (WMM) victory after finishing third in the British capital last year.
“The calf injury has healed and I am back in training. The pain is gone and I feel comfortable now,” disclosed Jepchirchir, the three-time reigning world half marathon champion.
Jepchirchir hinted at lowering her personal best of two hours, 17 minutes and 16 seconds that has stood for three years and several months at the London streets.
Competing in her first marathon after one year since winning the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2021, Jepchirchir finished third in London last year in a thrilling sprint finish in 2:18:38.
Multi-Olympic champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands won the race on her marathon debut in 2:18:33, beating Ethiopia’s Alemu Megertu to second place in 2:18:37.
Jepchirchir said a good performance in London will be key to her Olympic title defence during the Paris Summer Games scheduled from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital.
The last Kenyan woman to win in London is Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2021, affirming Kenya's dominance over the race since 2011. In fact, Kenyan women had won 10 of the past 11 editions, missing out only in 2015 when Ethiopian Tigist Tufa ruled the roost.
It’s Mary Keitany who had the lion’s share, winning three editions in 2011, 2012 and 2017 with Brigid Kosgei going for a double with back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020.
Priscah Jeptoo (2013), Edna Kiplagat (2014) and Vivian Cheruiyot (2018) also had a share of the London Marathon cake, joining three other Kenyans who had previous reigned supreme at the British capital namely; Joyce Chepchumba (1999), Tegla Loroupe (2000) and Margaret Okayo (2004).
Keitany is the fastest Kenyan in London with her victory in 2017 in 2:17:01, which still stands as the women’s only marathon world record.
“It’s my desire to also join the list of these great Kenyans to have won in London and moreso make the final team for the Paris Olympics. I want to be in the best form during the race,” said Jepchirchir, who is training in Kapsabet, Nandi County.
Jepchirchir is also keen on making history in Paris as the first woman to not only retain the marathon title but also claim the crown twice.
Jepchirchir clocked 2:27:20 to win in Tokyo, beating Brigid Kosgei to second place in 2:27:36 as Molly Seidel from the United States of America settled for bronze in 2:27:46.
Jepchirchir made history as the second Kenyan woman to win the Olympic title after Jemimah Sumgong at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Women’s marathon was first held at the Olympics during the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games in the USA where home athlete Joan Benoit won.
