The Olympic and world 1500m champion reveals that close friend Eliud Kipchoge has inspired her to tackle the 26.2-mile event in future.
Many view already her as a true athletics great, but Faith Kipyegon doesn’t quite see it that way. Yet. Despite being a two-time Olympic and world champion over 1500m, the Kenyan believes she has more work to do before any such tag can be justified.
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Euan Crumley in the latest issue of AW, which is on sale from November 10, among other things the Kenyan discusses how she wants to leave a legacy, as well as outlining what she believes needs to happen in the fight against doping in her home country.
The 28-year-old still has more ambitions to fulfil on the track, too, but admits that the future will see her heading down a road which she hopes will lead to even more success.
Kipyegon trains at the camp in Kaptagat from which her close friend Eliud Kipchoge hones his mastery of the marathon, and admits that seeing the world record-holder at work has inspired her to tackle the 26.2-mile event in the future.
“I don’t see myself as a great, yet,” says Kipyegon who, like Kipchoge, is also coached by Patrick Sang. “I need to achieve more towards the marathon and I’m really looking forward to following in Eliud’s footsteps.
“He has already shown us the way and, training with him, I see what he does every day.
“I will work my way up towards the marathon in future and I will be the greatest.
“When you stay with marathon runners, you don’t see yourself as a 1500m athlete any more – you see yourself as a marathoner. You follow them on long runs, you follow them on fartleks and you see every day what they do. [It makes you feel like] ‘I need to do this’.
“That’s motivation from Eliud, from the whole group in Kaptagat that has really inspired me to see myself in the marathon in future.
“[When I will run one] is something I can’t predict, but I want to build myself and build my commitment towards marathon and just go step by step [through the distances] towards it.”
Kipyegon is one of the nominees in this year’s AW Readers’ Choice Awards, which launch this week in the magazine and online. This is your chance to pick which individuals, across a range of categories, you think have excelled in 2022.
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