Faith Kipyegon/ FILEThe 1992 Olympic steeplechase silver medallist and long-time coach to triple Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon, Patrick Sang, says he is eagerly poised to embrace the next challenge of his star pupil when she eventually ventures into the marathon.
Kipyegon has expressed her desire to transition from her trademark 1,500m to longer distances.
Sang admits he is eager to witness how Kipyegon will fare over the 42km distance.
“We want to see what she can do in that territory,” Sang told Citius Mag.
The celebrated tactician drew parallels with athletes who have followed a similar path, Kipyegon’s fiercest rivals over the years, who have already made successful transitions to the marathon.
“If you look at those who have gone ahead of her, the likes of Hellen Obiri and Sifan Hassan, it’s a clear indication that there is room and a place for Faith in the marathon,” he said.
Over the years, Kipyegon has shared countless duels with both Obiri and Hassan on the global stage.
At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Obiri took bronze in 4:03.86, with Kipyegon finishing fifth in 4:05.08.
In 2014, their rivalry reignited at the African Championships in Marrakech, where Obiri struck gold in 4:09.53 as Kipyegon settled for fifth in 4:13.46.
At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games later that year, it was Kipyegon’s turn to sparkle, storming to gold in 4:08.94, with Obiri finishing sixth in 4:10.84.
Against Hassan, Kipyegon announced her Olympic arrival in emphatic fashion at the Rio 2016 Games, taking gold in 4:08.92 as the Dutch star finished fifth in 4:11.23.
At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Kipyegon reaffirmed her supremacy with a blistering 3:53.11 to reclaim her crown, while Hassan settled for bronze in 3:55.86.
In Budapest 2023, Kipyegon once again outclassed her great rival, storming to victory in 3:54.87 as Hassan bagged another bronze in 3:56.00.
While Kipyegon continued to reign supreme on the track, her former rivals have since conquered new frontiers on the roads.
Obiri has built an enviable marathon resume, winning back-to-back Boston titles, the 2023 New York crown and an Olympic bronze at Paris 2024.
Hassan, meanwhile, won Olympic gold in Paris, adding to her glittering triumphs in London and Chicago in 2023 and Sydney 2025.
This year, Kipyegon herself undertook an audacious challenge, attempting to become the first woman to run a mile under four minutes during Nike’s Breaking4 project in Paris.
Though she fell just short, clocking 4:06.42, Sang remains convinced the elusive sub-four barrier is still within reach.
“It’s still possible,” he insisted.
“Just a few days after the Breaking4 attempt, Faith went to Eugene and broke the 1,500m world record. That means what we did technically did not go in vain.”
After the Breaking4 attempt, Kipyegon obliterated her own 1,500m record at the Prefontaine Classic, clocking 3:48.68.
