Faith Kipyegon Reveals How She Balances Friendship and Fierce Rivalry with Beatrice Chebet

Faith Kipyegon has opened up about how she manages to strike a healthy balance between her friendship and rivalry with Beatrice Chebet.

Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet refer to each other as best friends, but when they step on the track, everyone wants to walk away with the top prize, something that other athletes might find challenging.

However, Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet seem to have mastered the art of managing their friendship while also healthily competing against each other.

Their recent encounter was at the World Athletics Championships, where the 1500m world record holder had gone to defend her title in the 5000m, while Beatrice Chebet was seeking double victory after claiming top honours in the 10,000m.

In the race, Faith Kipyegon came second behind Beatrice Chebet, who had also broken her 5000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic.

Faith Kipyegon said that her friendship with Beatrice Chebet extends beyond the track, explaining that they value supporting each other outside of competition because friendship means a lot to them.

The four-time world 1500m champion noted that when they are together, they are very close, spending time walking around, making TikTok videos, and simply having fun away from the sport.

However, she added that once it comes to competition, it is all about performance, and the best athlete wins.

Faith Kipyegon emphasised that they are proud to represent strong women in sports, something fans enjoy, witnessing fierce battles on the track while also seeing genuine friendship off it.

She said this dynamic motivates her and serves as an example to others that, beyond their athletic pursuits, friendship remains an essential part of life.

“You know, this is all about us needing each other outside that track. We need each other outside of what we do because friendship matters a lot, and for us, when we are together, we are so close, we walk around, we do TikToks together, and we just have fun outside that track,” Faith Kipyegon said in an interview with Citius Mag.

“But when it comes to competition, the best athlete wins, and that is what we are happy about. We have strong women in sports, and that is what fans like to see, that battle on the track and seeing friendship outside there.

“That really, really motivates me, and we give an example to other people or other athletes to know that, besides what we do, we also need friendship in our lives.”

Faith Kipyegon added that she and Beatrice Chebet often spend time together beyond training and competition, saying that they sometimes eat together, travel together, and encourage each other.

The three-time Olympic 1500m champion explained that, as women in athletics, they believe in the importance of mutual motivation and support.

Faith Kipyegon added that they constantly remind each other to keep striving for excellence. She expressed that if more women continue to rise in the sport, they can inspire and motivate many young girls around the world to pursue their dreams.

“Oh yeah, we normally eat together. I eat with her sometimes. I join her for travel sometimes, and we just advise each other, like we are women, and we need more women to just we need to motivate each other,” Faith Kipyegon added.

“We need to push ourselves, and boundaries are there to be pushed, and this is the way to go. If we have three or five women in this sport, strong like us, we can motivate many young girls around the world.”

Faith Kipyegon’s reflections highlight a refreshing perspective in elite sports, that friendship and rivalry can coexist harmoniously.

Her bond with Beatrice Chebet stands as a testament to mutual respect, healthy competition, and the power of women uplifting each other.