Two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat banking on experience ahead of Boston Marathon

ATHLETICS Two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat banking on experience ahead of Boston Marathon

Abigael Wafula 08:34 - 13.04.2023

The Boston Marathon is scheduled for next Monday, April 17.

The 2014 London Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat is relying on her vast experience to display a good run at the Boston Marathon scheduled for Monday, April 17.

The two-time world champion hopes her mastery of the course will be an added advantage for her as she takes on the hard course and eyes her third title in the race.

https://twitter.com/KiplagatEdna/status/1645654719283736576?s=20

Kiplagat has featured in five Boston Marathons and this year’s edition will mark her sixth time. She bagged two Boston Marathon titles when she competed in the 2017 and 2021 editions. 

During the 2019 edition, Kiplagat finished second and in 2018, she fizzled out to finish ninth. In last year’s edition, Kiplagat managed a fourth-place finish.

“I am well prepared because I have mastered the course. I know the challenging areas and I will use that to my advantage,” she said, as quoted by Nation Sport.

The US-based athlete prefers training in Kenya because of the conducive training environment. She also revealed that she is also aware of the strong field and she expects a fast race.

The field has attracted some of the greatest female athletes including Sheila Chepkirui, who made her debut over the 42km distance at last year’s Valencia Marathon. She is the second fastest in the field with a personal best time of 2:17:29.

Joycilline Jepkosgei, the 2021 London Marathon champion, will also be lining up as the third-fastest in the field with a personal best time of 2:17:43. 

Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso, the fastest in the field, will be keen to replicate last year’s Valencia Marathon’s performance. She won the marathon in a new course record time of 2:14:58.

Kenyan-Israeli runner Lonah Salpeter will also be in the mix. Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia is also a force to reckon with. Gebreslase is the world champion and has a personal best time of 2:18:11. On her part, Lagat has a personal best time of 2:19:50.

“I am based in Colorado but due to the cold weather conditions I could not train effectively so I opted to come to Kenya. I know the field has attracted some of the fastest athletes but I am not afraid of any. I expect a fast race,” she said.

Kiplagat has been in the athletics field for more than 20 years and she attributed her longevity to discipline.

“In athletics there is no secret recipe…you have to train effectively in order to achieve your targets,” she said.

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