Double Olympic champion, Sifan Hassan will make her marathon debut at the 43rd edition of the London Marathon that will be held on April 23, 2023 in London.
The 30 year-old who is also a double world champion in 10,000m and 5000m will face “the greatest-ever field assembled for the elite women’s race in London” and they are not exaggerating.
The Deep elite field Include:
Yalemzerf Yehualaw – Defending champion of the London Marathon.
Brigid Kosgei – World record-holder with 2:14.04 from Chicago in 2019.
Peres Jepchirchir – Reigning Olympic Marathon champion from Tokyo.
Genzebe Dibaba –Ran 2:18.05 on her marathon debut last year.
Almaz Ayana – Clocked 2:17.20 in her first marathon in 2022.
Tigist Assefa – Berlin Marathon winner last September in 2:15.37.
Emily Sisson – American record-holder with 2:18.29
Sinead Diver – Irish-born Aussie clocked 2:21.34 in Valencia
Double World 5000m champion, Hellen Obiri narrowly beat the Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir at the 41st edition of the Great North Run that will be held on Sunday (11) from Newcastle to South Shields in England.
Obiri who defeated Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan in last year’s edition was pushed to the tape by Jepchirchir who is the two-time world half marathon champion and also the women-only half marathon world record-holder of 1:05.16. This year ‘s victory was decided by just two seconds with the latter taking the honors in one of the bruising battle ever seen in Shields.
Obiri’s winning time of 1:07.05 was a minute and a half behind the Great North Run’s current women’s record holder Mary Keitany, also from Kenya.
Jepchirchir who came to this race as the second fastest runner after the winner settled in second in 1:07.07.
The former Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana from Ethiopia, who is making her come back after taking sabbatical leave, announced her return on the road with a third place finish in a time of 1:07.10
The 2012 World Junior women’s 3000m Champion, Hiwot Gebrekidan from Ethiopia came home in fourth place in 1:07.22 with Four times European Cross Country Champion, Charlotte Purdue who also finished in third place last year, relegated to fifth in 1:10.11.
Double world 5000m champion, Hellen Obiri will clash with the Tokyo Olympic marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir at the 41st edition of the Great North Run that will be held on Sunday (11) from Newcastle to South Shields in England.
Obiri defeated Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan, who will be performing the role of official starter this weekend, will battle for honors with Jepchirchir who is the two-time world half marathon champion and also the women-only half marathon world record-holder of 1:05.16.
The 32 year-old who will be defending her title, comes to this race with a personal best of 1:04.51 which is fourteen seconds faster that Jepchirchir’s.
The two will face-off with former Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana from Ethiopia, who is making her come back after taking sabbatical leave and her fellow compatriot Hiwot Gebrekidan, who is the 2012 World Junior women’s 3000m Champion.
The home team will be led by with Jess Piasecki who comes to the race with a personal best of 1:07.20 that she got early this year at the 30a Mitja Marató Internacional Vila de Santa Pola, where she took the silver.
Four times European Cross Country Champion, Charlotte Purdue who also finished in third place last year has also been lined up to fight for the title as well as the European Indoor 3000m champion Amy Eloise Markovc who will be making her debut over the distance.
The race Organisers confirm half marathon showpiece will proceed on Sunday, with tributes planned to The Queen. Organisers of the Great North Run have confirmed that the half marathon showpiece will go ahead this coming Sunday (September 11), albeit with changes being made to the planned weekend of running in the North East of England. With alterations being made to the sporting calendar, in light of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, there had been doubts as to whether or not the event would proceed.
The Great North 5k, due to incorporate the inaugural UK Athletics 5km Championships and set to take place this evening (September 9), has been cancelled, while this year’s Mini and Junior Great North Run has been postponed.
Olympic marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir will be targeting the race course record at the 50th edition of the New York City Marathon that will be held on November 06, 2022 in New York.
Jepchirchir became the first woman to win both the Tokyo marathon and New York in a span of four months said her main aim is to defend her title and also chase the course record which failed to achieve after finishing eight seconds off the mark.
The 28 year-old also added the Boston marathon title in April, cementing her status as the world’s top marathoner.
“My main aim is to defend my title but with focus on the course record which I missed last year,” said Jepchirchir.
While releasing the elite list on Wednesday, the race organisers also included last year’s runner-up, Viola Cheptoo of Kenya.
The race will also have three debutants, World marathon champion ,Gotytom Gebreslase from Ethiopia, World bronze medallist, Lonah Salpeter from Israel and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri.
Americans Des Linden, Sara Hall, Emma Bates, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Nell Rojas and Stephanie Bruce will also be on the start line up.
Returning into athletics career after maternity leave, Cynthia Jerop is not a typical athlete, running the shows across the world but her enthusiasm into athletics was inspired by her late mother who discovered her talent at a tender age.
The former world cross country junior bronze medalist has ensured that the legacy of her late mother Rhoda Bulbul is kept safe and secured as she runs the shows across the world to earn a profitable life, remembering in her heydays when she could be woken up to go for morning training.
Through her inspiration, Jerop decided to use her name Bulbul in all her social media platforms including Facebook just to remember her in all endeavors.
“Am slowly returning into action, with the second marathon set to kick in in August, I want to compete well. And is the best way I can remember my mother. I use her name in social media to appreciate the efforts she made to ensure my success,” she said.
It was tears of sorrow that when her career picked up, winning races across the world, her mother, the mentor, who served as her coach passed on, leaving her languishing, thinking on how to start a new life without her. Almost giving up her career but as young as she was, she had to extend her training skills to secure a chance in marathons.
“I was stressed out, failing in so many races and my activities. It was one of the worst moments in my life when my mother, who was the motivator, the only person I looked upon for guidance and training but once she died, All the systems were set back to factory settings, thinking on how I could start a new life without her but I had to think of my future without her and kept the spirit of never giving up,” said Jerop.
She says that her mother saw the potential in her as an athlete and started training her every morning before going to school and in the evening.
“She used to ride a bicycle as I was running. That is the kind of training I started with. Imagine my mother on a bicycle either behind or in front to ensure that I keep the pace with her. It was hard but I had to endure the pain and now even if she is not here with me as I enjoy the fruits of her labour, I run for her,” she added.
She said that she saw her talent while in class five at Tulon primary school in Nandi County and decided to nurture it.
“At that time, I was young but she forced me to train to say I will be the greatest runner that will be celebrated across the world and here I am in her absence being celebrated. She motivated me, saying that giving up is not a solution in life but meant for the cowards. Unfortunately, she died without enjoying her fruits she laboured for,” she said.
Jerop stormed into the limelight when she won bronze at the World Cross Country championships in 2009 in the junior category.
Since 2009, it took long for her to run after switching to road races to earn money as she claims there is no money on track but during the 2012 Shinda Na Rabbit, she finished 4th in 10,000m.
In 2015 her mother’s condition was deteriorating and took a break in athletics where her mother wanted to stay with her at home. Unfortunately, she passed on in 2016 forcing her to remain without a mentor and motivator.
“The month of April 2016 will always be in my memories. My mother died and I had no one to train me. following her death, I had to take care of our family,” she said.
Following the recovery from the pain, she decided to take on road running to earn money and went ahead to win the 2017 Eindhoven half marathon. But 2018 was her year of success when she first won the Inaugural Kaptagat Half marathon, went ahead to claim the Chemususu 10km title before winding the year with Kass International marathon win.
She also won the 2017 inaugural Bomet half marathon.
In 2020, before coronavirus hit the sporting world, she was preparing for the Seoul Marathon that was postponed due to the virus. Recovering from a tendon injury that has kept her out of competition for almost a year, Jerop was optimistic that she could have run better.
“Before the injury, I had won silver at the Venice marathon and I was preparing for the Seoul marathon but the pandemic, just like any other sports person across the world, was affected in a big way,” she said.
In 2018 she also finished second at the annual Standard Chartered Nairobi marathon.
She said that she was well prepared for Seoul, which was to take place on 22nd March in Korea after Venice where she finished second behind champion Judith Kosgei.
“After the postponement, I now take on light training like 15km to 21km especially during morning hours never knowing where I will start the race but I have to be ready. Apart from training, I engage in maize, vegetable to kill boredom,” she said.
“Before the race cancellation, I was fit enough to win the Seoul title with my personal best. My training programme so far has been going on fine despite doing little and I am confident that I will do well when competition resumes,” she said.
The Kapsabet based runner enjoys her Personal best of 2:25.54 set in 2019 when she was second at the Los Angeles Marathon after losing to Ethiopia’s Askale Merachi (2:24.11) as Kenyan Lucy Karimi (2:26.15) was third.
“I wanted my PB but that will have to wait for a long,” said the former Hannover half marathon runner.
In 2019, she won the Madoka half marathon (78.55) after defeating then then defending champion Delvine Maringor (79.20), winner used to train with Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, Eindhoven Marathon winner Georgina Rono and Alice Cherono before the coronavirus made it impossible to work in groups.
Jerop also finished second at the Tubonglore half marathon in 73:22 behind Nancy Jelagat- (71:59) with Zeddy Cherop completing the podium in 74:38.
“It has been my dream, just like other athletes across the world will want to compete at the marathon majors and that will be my dream. I have been trying my best to secure an opportunity for such an event to come my way,” said Jerop.
The World Marathon majors consists of Tokyo, Berlin, London, Chicago, Boston and New York City marathons.
Olympic marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir has withdrawn from next Monday’s world championships marathon due to a right hip injury, her agent has confirmed.
The 28 year-old became the first person to win the Olympic and New York City Marathons in a career span of three months. She then added the Boston in April, cementing her status as the world’s top marathoner.
According to Nation Media group, Jepchirchir first felt discomfort last week after which Team Kenya’s doctor advised her to rest.
Jepchirchir absence will leave the defending champion Ruth Chepngetich to steer the wheels as she will face Ethiopians Ababel Yeshaneh and Gotytom Gebreslase plus American record holder Keira D’Amato.
Siblings Norah Tanui Jeruto, the former Commonwealth Youth Games 2,000m bronze medalist and Daisy Jepkemei, the former world junior 3,000m steeplechase champion are some of the huge athletes’ talents exported to other nations.
The duo will simply be Kenyans versus former Kenyans affair at this year’s World Athletics championships that will be held in Eugene, Oregon, in the United States of America.
With most exports lining up on track and road running where over 1900 athletes from 192 World Athletics (WA) member federations will be battling out for 43 gold medals at the Eugene Hayward Field between July 15th to July 24th.
According to the list released by WA, Jeruto. Who won the World Youth 2,000m steeplechase in 2011 and succeeded by Jepkemei who won the title in 2013 as the race became a family affair will be representing Kazakhstan.
They will fly the Kazakhstan at the world championships and are expected to give a competitive race against fellow Kenyans running for Kenya.
Jeruto is also the 2016 Africa Senior Athletics 3,000m steeplechase champion while Jepkemei is the former Africa Youth 2,000m steeplechase champion.
Another Kenyan born Winfred Mutile Yavi will be running for Bahrain in the same race against Kenyans led by world 3,000m record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, Jackline Chepkoech, Celliphine Chespol Chepteek and Purity Kirui.
In the recent past, Kenyan athletes’ have switched their allegiance has seen their new nations claim a big share of Kenyan glory as they are spread across the world.
Just like in 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Ruth Jebet won gold in the 3,000m steeplechase and Eunice Kirwa won silver in the marathon behind Jemimah Sumgong.
Despite Kenyans switching nationalities, their love is not lost since they can communicate in Swahili and still train in their country of origin.
Eunice Chebichii Chumba will be representing her new found lover Bahrain where she will be competing in a marathon. Just Chebichii, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter will be representing Israel in the marathon.
The two former Kenyans will be chasing the marathon title against reigning champion Ruth Chepngetich, Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, Paris marathon champion Judith Jeptum Korir and Vienna City marathon champion Angela Tanui.
In men, Jonah Koech will be representing the hosts in the 800m competing against Kenyans led by reigning world under 20 800m bronze medalist Noah Kibet, reigning Commonwealth Games 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal, Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Korir and world under 20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.
In a crowded 10,000m, Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli will be up in arms for his new nation, competing against Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist Rodgers Kwemoi Chumo, Daniel Mateiko and Stanley Waithaka Mburu.
Two former Kenyan athletes will be flying the American flag in the 3,000m steeplechase. Hillary Bor and Bernard Keter will face former country mates Leonard Bett, Abraham Kibiwot, Benjamin Kigen and reigning champion Conseslas Kipruto.
Others who have switched allegiance include, Bahraini Benson Kiplagat Seurei, the son of 1987 All Africa Games 1,500m champion James Seurei who competes in 1,500m, Mike Ozbilen Kigen in marathon representing Turkey, Abraham Rotich (800m) and Albert Rop (5,000m), Rose Chelimo, Isaac Korir and Abraham Cheroben (10,000m).
Lucy Kimani, Yasemin Can, Tarik Langat Akdag run in 3,000m steeplechase, Ali Kaya, Ilham Tanui, Ozbilen, Meryem Akda, Bernard Lagat, Paul Chelimo, Leonard Korir and Shadrack Kipchirchir, Evans Kiplagat.
Tokyo Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has put her focus to be on the podium at the World Athletics marathon set for next month in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
Jepchirchir who said that she is used to be called in the team late promised her fans that this marathon will be theirs and they should expect good results.
“I was entered into the team due to the public demand and I must thank my fans who insisted that I should be in the team. I must thank God to be in team Kenya, though I joined the team late, I must thank Athletics Kenya,” said Jepchirchir.
Just like the 2021 Olympic Games, the newly crowned Boston marathon champion was entered late into the team and went ahead to win the second Olympic Games marathon gold in a 1-2 podium finish for Kenya with Brigid Kosgei coming home in second place.
“I thank fans who have confidence and trust in me. What I can tell my fans is to pray for me for good health on that day and I will try my best not to let you down. I have earned fans and the public demand because of what I have been doing. I ran well in the Tokyo Olympics even after I joined the team late, I went ahead to win the Olympic Games marathon title. So after that I gained public confidence,” added two time world half marathon champion.
The 29 year-old who became the first woman athlete to win an Olympic marathon gold medal, New York Marathon and Boston Marathon, said that, initially she had rejected the offer but later accepted because she had just competed at the Boston marathon in April and she had little time to prepare.
“I won the Boston marathon in April and when I was told the first time, I did not accept but later I accepted because I had little time to train and prepare for the race. But I believe in myself that I can, the same way I did at the Olympics, I came back and went to compete at the New York marathon with a win,” said Jepchirchir.
Athletics Kenya president Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, has announced that Kenya’s marathon team will be training individually ahead of the World Athletics Championships set for next month in Eugene, Oregon, USA
Speaking in Eldoret after meeting all selected marathon team, Tuwei said that they short time for the marathoners to train in camps for the biennial championships after missing last year.
“The team is here in preparations for the world championships in Oregon and anything that they wanted to know their needs,” said Tuwei.
He said that the team selection should was perfect and agreed that they will be training from where they are.
“Training in their current camps will give them a good chance to better their performance because change of training area will affect them due to the short period we have ahead of Oregon and we shall support them fully as Athletics Kenya,” assured the president.
He added that he wants them, by the time they go to the championships, they have received support after getting support from all over the quarters of the country.
“Since we selected the team we have not heard any challenges and noise from the public, meaning we have selected the best for this country,” he said as he they plan to name the final team in Nairobi during the track and field trials for the Commonwealth Games and World championships team.
Team captain Lawrence Cherono said that as a team, they are preparing well for the show.
“We are a full team, committed to take the mantle and we are ready for the task. We will do our best as a team following a good discussion with team mates and federation president and have promised we shall work together,” said Cherono.
Women marathon defending champion Ruth Chepng’etich said she was ready to defend her title.
“Am praying that we have good results in Oregon and raedy to defend my title,” said Chepng’etich.
The men’s marathon team is led by Chicago and Boston marathon champion Lawrence Cherono, who will be serving as team captain, two time New York marathon champion Geoffrey kamworor, Barnabas Kiptum and former world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui as reserve.
Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir leads women race followed by defending champion Ruth Chepng’etich, Judith Jeptum Korir and Angela Tanui as reserve.
Evans Chebet is the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) LG Sports Personality of the month of April 2022. The Kapsabet based athlete achieved the feat after winning his first ever marathon major title the prestigious Boston Marathon.
Chebet racked up victory in a time of 2 hours, 6 minutess and 51 seconds and has had his campaign effectively sewn up when the strong field of athletes in Boston failed to match his finishing touch. And he did it in bravado bearing compatriots Lawrence Cherono and defending champion Benson Kipruto to scintillating podium dash.
The 33-year-old was on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 awarded with a Vivace Washing Machine, with AI DD technology by the LG East Africa Managing Director Sa Nyoung Kim at Riadha house. “I am so delighted to win my first ever award, it goes a long way in motivating me ahead of my aim or running Berlin and New York Marathon. I thank LG and SJAK for the kind gesture of remembering athletes, we are grateful,” an elated Chebet said.
“It was such a great feeling to go to Boston and win especially after failing to finish in 2018,” he added. LG East Africa Managing Director Sa Nyoung Kim encouraged Kenyan Sportsmen and women to continue being the country’s brand ambassadors. “So, to all sportsmen and women in and out of this place, there is a brighter side waiting for you to show up, find your limits and dare to blow past them,” Kim said. “As LG Electronics East Africa, we commit to being present to support you through SJAK and ensure that your break the barriers and lift the trophy.”
“Our sponsorship of this award is not only aimed at inspiring our sportsmen to keep doing better, but it also signifies our commitment to contribute to the development of sports in Kenya by recognizing local talent,” the LG Managing Director added. Chebet beat a strong field of athletes nominated for the April award including Boston Marathon Women’s winner Peres Jepchirchir, rally star Karan Patel who won the third round of the 2022 FIA African Rally Championship (Equator Rally) from start to finish.
Also in the list was Maurine Chepkemoi, who destroyed the course record at the 75th edition of the Enschede marathon in Netherlands. The five gold medalists for the Kenya team Hit Squad at the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championship in Congo were also nominated for the April award.
They were Light welterweight Teresia Wanjiru, Welterweight Everlyne Akinyi, Light heavyweight Elizabeth Andiego, Flyweight David Karanja and Bantamweight Shaffi Bakari Hassan. SJAK President Chris Mbaisi thanked LG for their unswerving support saying the partnership has gone a long way in rewarding excellence.
For 8 years LG has demonstrated their support for sports, both on and off the pitch. And together we share an ambition of creating opportunities at all levels and ensuring every aspiring athlete enjoys an enabling environment.” “We look forward to further developing our relationship over the coming years.”
