Faith Kipyegon on Why She Trusts Dorcus Ewoi, Nelly Chepchirchir and Co to Carry On the 1500m Legacy

Faith Kipyegon has revealed she has confidence in the current crop of Kenyan 1500m runners, including Dorcus Ewoi and Neely Chepchirchir, as she plans a swift exit from the distance.

The four-time world 1500m champion has been a dominant force in the distance, but feels like she now has to find another challenge and leave the younger generation to continue with the legacy.

Faith Kipyegon has won three gold medals at the Olympic Games over the distance. She started her gold medal haul at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games before extending her winning streak to the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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Her recent exploits were at the Paris Olympic Games. Faith Kipyegon has four world titles in the 1500m, having won her first at the 2017 World Championships in London before coming back after childbirth and winning a silver in 2019.

The three-time Olympic 1500m champion then claimed gold at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, the 2023 edition of the event in Budapest and just recently in Tokyo, Japan. Faith Kipyegon also has the world record in the 1500m.

Faith Kipyegon expressed strong confidence in the future of Kenyan middle-distance running, explaining that the athletes training alongside her, including Dorcus Ewoi and Nelly Chepchirchir, have gained valuable lessons and motivation from competing with her.

She noted that their progress has been evident, as they continue to grow in strength, discipline, and belief. According to her, the country’s proud tradition in the 1500m will remain secure even after she shifts her focus to longer distances.

Faith Kipyegon added that she fully trusts the upcoming generation to carry on the legacy, describing them as powerful, determined, and developing in the right direction to achieve great success on the global stage.

“Yeah, I would say they're learning a lot now that I'm still running with them. They're learning a lot from me, and they're like, yeah, we are now getting motivated to know that when you move to a longer distance, 1500 is still in safe hands for Kenya,” Faith Kipyegon said in an interview with Citius Mag.

“I hope they will do an amazing job, and I will leave the baton to them and move to a longer distance, and I'm confident that they will do so well; they are powerful and are coming up in a good way.”

Dorcus Ewoi claimed a silver medal behind Faith Kipyegon in the women’s 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. On her part, Nelly Chepchirchir finished fourth.