Could this happen in the Olympics marathon events as well? Across all the athletics disciplines at the ongoing Olympics, the level of competition and potential for surprises has risen compared to what we witnessed at the past Olympic Games. There are no longer very clear favourites. However, what may work for the Kenyan stakes in the marathon events is that they have more than one individual runner being the main contender in each event.
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First of all, both the men’s and women’s defending Paris 2024 Olympic marathon champions are Kenyans, and they are both leading their national teams into another expected great outing and possible double victories at the Paris Olympics for the long-distance running powerhouse.
Men’s Olympics Marathon
Eliud Kipchoge, who has so many accolades to list here, including being the only human being to have run under two hours for the marathon, will defend the men’s title for a second time following his wins at the Rio 2016 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The advantage that Kenyans seem to have over other nations in the distance running events is the depth of talent in the country. There are nations that would have one runner or two strong runners whom they are putting all their hopes on. Examples of the men’s marathon event are Abdi Nageeye, who is the only Dutch in the top ten performers this year for the marathon, and Morhad Amdouni of France.
While Kipchoge didn’t have a good day during his last marathon in Tokyo in March, the two other runners in the Kenyan Olympic marathon team are among the Kenyans who occupy half of all the top ten performances in the world this year.
Benson Kipruto, who still holds the world’s fastest time of 2:02:16, which he ran to win the Tokyo Marathon, will be the other big contender for the Olympic title. With three world marathon majors victories under his belt, Kipruto has enough experience to make him an Olympic champion.
And if it will need a relatively new emerging star to win the Olympic title, newly crowned 2024 London Marathon champion, Alexander Mutiso will be the other Kenyan to watch out for.
Women’s Olympics marathon
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Peres Jepchirchir will lead the women’s squad alongside Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi, who substituted Brigid Kosgei.
Besides being the defending champion, Jepchirchir is an experienced championship racer with three World Half Marathon titles and three World Marathon Majors wins from the London, New York, and Boston marathons. She also holds the women’s only world record for the marathon at 2:16:16 and for the half marathon at 1:05:16.
Obiri is the other illustrious woman from Kenya. She has world titles in almost all aspects of running, from the world indoors to the world cross country to the outdoor championships. She also has world marathon major wins from the New York and Boston Marathons.
Lokedi, who won the 2022 New York City Marathon, was with Obiri almost to the finish line when the latter won the Boston Marathon in April.
Both Obiri and Lokedi have not run on some of the faster marathon courses yet, and their personal best times of 2:25:49 and 2:23:23, respectively –which they both registered at the 2022 New York City Marathon- could be deceiving to their opponents.
The men’s marathon race will be on 10 August, while the women’s will be on the last day of the Games, on 11 August.
If things may not go so well in other athletics events on the track, Kenyans should at least be assured of medals in the marathon events; unless something beyond nature happens during these races.