Quadruple world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon says watching Hellen Obiri and Sifan Hassan’s stunning exploits on the marathon stage has ignited her own desire to one day conquer the 42km distance and bask in that glory.
Kipyegon has already announced her intention to transition from her trademark 1,500m to longer distances (5,000m, 10,000m) and eventually road races.
The 31-year-old admits she draws immense inspiration from her former track rivals who have gone on to dominate the marathon circuit.
“I feel so motivated to see the athletes I have competed with running in the marathon, and they are running very good,” Kipyegon told Citius Mag. “Looking at people like Sifan and Obiri, they were running 1,500m.”
Over the years, Kipyegon has shared countless duels with both Obiri and Hassan on the global stage, their careers intertwined across multiple championships and unforgettable races.
At the 2013 Moscow World Championships, Obiri took bronze in 4:03.86, with Kipyegon finishing fifth in 4:05.08. A year later, the two joined forces at the 2014 Bahamas World Relays, teaming up with Mercy Cherono and Irene Jelagat to clinch gold in the women’s 4x1,500m relay, clocking a world record time of 16:33.58.
That same year, the pair met again at the African Championships in Marrakech, where Obiri claimed gold in 4:09.53 and Kipyegon settled for fifth in 4:13.46. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, it was Kipyegon’s turn to shine, striking gold in 4:08.94 as Obiri finished sixth in 4:10.84.
Against Hassan, Kipyegon stormed to gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, clocking 4:08.92 while Hassan finished fifth in 4:11.23. Their rivalry continued at the London 2017 World Championships, where Kipyegon claimed gold in 4:02.59, ahead of Hassan in fifth (4:03.34).
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Kipyegon reaffirmed her supremacy with another golden run in 3:53.11 as Hassan settled for bronze in 3:55.86. In Budapest 2023, Kipyegon yet again stunned the Dutch star, winning in 3:54.87 as Hassan settled for bronze in 3:56.00.
While Kipyegon continued to rule the track, her former rivals have taken the roads by storm. Obiri, a two-time Boston Marathon champion, triumphed in 2023 (2:21:38) and defended her title the following year (2:22:37).
She also conquered New York in 2023 (2:27:23) and finished runner-up in both New York 2024 (2:24:49) and Boston 2025 (2:17:41).
Her consistency was crowned with Olympic bronze at the Paris 2024 Games, where she clocked 2:23:10. Hassan, on the other hand, etched her name in marathon folklore by clinching Olympic gold in Paris (2:22:55).
Her resume includes victories in London (2:18:33) and Chicago (2:13:44), both in 2023 and another in Sydney 2025 (2:18:22). "They really motivate me a lot. I have that urge that maybe one day, one time, I will also run a Marathon in a beautiful way like them."
"When I see them crossing that finish line in the marathon, I just wish I could get there one day one time," Kipyegon added.
The triple Olympic 1,500m champion is eager to see what the roads will offer her after her dominance on the track. "But when my time comes, I will join them in the marathon and see what the road will offer, like the track."
