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Former Tokyo Marathon champion Helah Kiprop yearns to compete in the Eldoret City Marathon scheduled for next Sunday after three years in the cold.
Nation Sport caught up with Kiprop at her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet, after doing her evening run. Her home is a stone’s throw away from that of defending champion Valary Aiyabei.
However, Aiyabei, who is also the Frankfurt Marathon champion, opted out of the June 6 Eldoret Marathon to compete in the “Battle of Teams” held in the Czech Republic yesterday and finished third. Compatriots Purity Rionoripo and Benson Kipruto won their respective races.
Kiprop said she has missed competition having last appeared in the Tokyo Marathon in 2018 where she emerged fifth. Thereafter, she took a maternity break.
The athlete said that last year she was in great shape to participate in the Boston Marathon, but the race was cancelled due to the pandemic. Since then, she embarked on training at home.
Kiprop said she has done 60 percent of preparations for Sunday contest and she will be looking forward to test her strength.
“As athletes, when races are cancelled there is nothing much we can do except wait. On Sunday, I want to test my body after a long break,” she said.
The 2015 marathon World Athletics Championships silver medallist is passionate about environmental conservation.
“As a family, we have planted more than 400 assorted seedlings. I am glad that organisers of Eldoret City Marathon care about the environment too. As athletes, we need good environment for our training and I will always support this,” the athlete added.
Eldoret City Marathon is classified as the best in Kenya and also in Africa, winners stand to pocket Sh3.5 million. The top 20 athletes in both the men’s and women’s categories will also be awarded.
This is the third edition of the event which was first held in 2018, but last year’s championship was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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