Jepchirchir predicts Kenyan podium sweep ahead of women’s Olympics marathon

TOKYO, Japan, Aug 6 – World Half Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir believes Kenyans have what it takes to deliver a podium sweep in tomorrow’s women’s marathon in Sapporo, Japan.

Jepchirchir, a half-marathon specialist turned marathoner, reckons that the field is formidable in Sapporo “but Kenyans have the requisite speed and endurance to rack-up a rare clean-sweep”.

Jepchirchir says her teammates World Record Holder Brigid Kosgey and World Champion Ruth Chepngetich are more experienced than her given that she has only participated in two marathons.

“But inexperience for me is not an issue,” confidently quips Jepchirchir.

“It’s my first Olympic Games and I’m headed to Sapporo with a positive attitude. I have been shaping up for the Games with immense motovation but you know it’s not easy to compete there. Kenya’s team is strong and perfect. I’m sure we will run well and bring home the three medals at stake,” Jepchirchir, who once set the World Half Marathon Record told Capital Sport.

Jepchirchir is also predicting a tough duel against the Ethiopian field in the mix.

“I’m running with a very strong field and this motivates me to go for more and aim even higher. A record for Kenya will be a bonus, for now we are looking to deliver a 1-2-3,” she vowed.

27-year-old Jepchirchir has had a stellar performance and has a personal best of 1:05:06 in the half marathon that she achieved in 2017.

“I have done many half marathons in my career and realized along the way that I had attained a good age of running marathons. I was initially apprehensive from the onset but I later realized that it is not what I thought as much as it is not for the faint-hearted. It’s not as fast as half marathon but now I’m better prepared heading to Sapporo,” she said.

Asked how she plans to attack the scorching heat in Japan, Jepchirchir said, “I trained more on hot weather with the brutal Japanese summer in mind but you know you cannot be running in these hot conditions for long. I have done a few 30km and 10kms in training and I’m ready to now prove my mettle.”

Jepchirchir says she had practiced speed then resorted to loading.

“The aspect of speed is near perfect for me and what I’m now looking for is endurance and I don’t think it’s that bad for now. So, fingers crossed. Psychologically, I am prepared without pacesetters as this is now a championship,” Jepchirchir, who competed in Japan in 2019 at the Saitama marathon said.

She adds; “We will run as a team to get the podium medals. But you never know. We have to see how it goes when the race wears on.”

-Chepng’etich factor-

Meanwhile, Chepng’etich is another top marathoner in Team Kenya’s fold. She is regarded as the world’s top lady marathoner in history alongside her Tokyo Olympics teammate Kosgei, Paula Radcliffe and Mary Keitany.

Kosgei won the 2018 and 2019 Chicago Marathons and the 2019 and 2020 London Marathons.

Kenyans will face stiff opposition from Ethiopians including 10,000m silver medalist Zeineba Yimer, Roza Dereje, who finished second at the 2018 Chicago Marathon and third at 2019 London Marathon and Birhane Dibaba who’s best achievement is bagging silver at the 2016 Berlin Marathon.

–History of marathons–

While the men’s marathon has been a staple of the Olympics since the first modern Games in 1896, women were not allowed to run the 26.2-mile race until the 1984 Summer Games, which were held in Los Angeles.

Now both the men’s and women’s races are among the most anticipated events on the Olympic calendar.

The women’s race, where Kenya is the defending champion, is scheduled for Saturday August 7 at 6am Japan time (midnight Kenyan time) and the men will run on Sunday August 8, the final day of Olympic competition the same time.

-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Tokyo, Japan