The Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medallist Sheila Chepkirui has expressed her excitement about making her full marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon on December 4.
Chepkirui has had a successful career on track and the half marathon and thinks it was time for her to try the 42km distance.
She has had a great season over the half marathon distance, where she placed third at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon back in February and won the Berlin Half Marathon in April.
“I am happy to be making my debut in Valencia…I just think it’s time for me to try this new journey. I have had some great moments on the track and I am hoping I will be able to register the same in the marathon,” Chepkirui said, adding that she is praying for good health on the race day.
Chepkirui said she looks up to 2018 London Marathon champion Vivian Cheruiyot because of her hard work and remarkable races both on track and roads. She said her body is responding well to training so far and her goal is to finish the race.
“After the Commonwealth Games, I had a slight injury but it got better. The training has been going on well and I am happy my body is responding well,” she said.
Meanwhile, the race has attracted 11 elite Kenyan athletes with Jonathan Korir being the fastest among his male compatriots with a PB of 2:04:32 posted last year in Amsterdam, where he placed fourth.
Korir participated in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August and placed fifth in the marathon in 2:14:06. He was a distance 12th in Tokyo Marathon in 2:08:04 back in March.
The 2017 World marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui will also be in the mix. Kirui has a personal best time of 2:06:27. He placed fourth in 2:19:28 at this year’s Juarez International Marathon.
Others in the field are 2020 Santa Pola Half Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, 2021 Bahrain Night Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum. Mutiso, Kiplimo and Kiptum will be making their debut in the 42km event.
Bethwell Kipkemboi will be returning to Valencia with the hope of improving on his 17th-place finish during last year’s edition. He has a personal best time of 2:07:41. Others in the race will be Ronald Korir (PB 2:07:29) and Simon Kipkosgei (PB 2:07:07).
This will be Korir’s third race of the season after winning the BP Castellón Marathon in February and a fifth-place finish at the Volkswagen Prague Marathon.
Other Kenyan women in the field will be Monica Ngige who has a PB of 2:22:13 posted in Boston in April and Fancy Chemutai (PB 2:24:27).
