Olympic champion Jepchirchir targets World Road Running crown

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir is shifting her focus to the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championship after securing victory in the Great North Run half marathon in Newcastle, United Kingdom.

Jepchirchir, based in Kapsabet, expressed that she used the half marathon to gauge her speedwork in preparation for the upcoming World Half Marathon in Riga, Latvia, scheduled for September 30 to October 1. She’s enthusiastic about representing Kenya and running her race.

The former world half marathon record holder is delighted to be part of Team Kenya. She boasts a gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, with a time of 2:27.20, and has earned the title of two-time world half-marathon champion. Her personal best marathon time is an impressive 2:17.16, achieved in Valencia.

In 2017, Jepchirchir set a world record in the half marathon, completing the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) course in just 65.06 minutes. Winning the World Half Marathon would hold great significance for her.

“I will be happy if I win at the World Half Marathon that will mean a lot to me,” she said.
Her achievements also include breaking her own record with a time of 2:23.50 at the 2019 Saitama Marathon, her third marathon competition.

Jepchirchir expressed her gratitude to God for the opportunity to represent Kenya and is eager to give her best in the upcoming competition.

Joining Olympic champion Jepchirchir in the team are Irene Kimais, who finished fourth in the women’s 10,000m at the World Championships, Margaret Chelimo in the women’s 5,000m, and Catherine Reline and Janeth Chepng’etich.

Notably, there have been changes to the Kenyan squad for the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championship.

Stanley Waithaka will replace the injured World 5,000m bronze medalist Jacob Krop.
Kyumbe Munguti, the national 1,500m champion, will take the place of the 2019 World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot in the Road Mile race.