Faith Kipyegon expresses gratitude to her pacemaker for 15 years
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 17.04.25. | 21:31
On her side, Kipyegon expressed her gratitude to the team, especially her unsung hero
"100 per cent of me is nothing compared to 1 per cent of the whole team,"—Eliud Kipchoge. If there is a quote that epitomises the ethos of the former world marathon record-holder, then this is it.
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At its heart is an unshakeable belief in the importance of the team and an acknowledgement of the crucial role others have played in his success.
The team includes World 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Geoffrey Kamworor, among other notable names, who all train at the Global Sports Communication training camp on the edge of the small town of Kaptagat.
The team that is under the tutelage of the inexhaustible coach Patrick Sang also has Benard Soi, a crucial pacemaker who has been on Kipyegon's side for over 15 years, and counting.
In athletics, pacemakers, often referred to as "rabbits", are tasked with guiding runners through specific parts of a race or training session at precise paces. They absorb pressure, set tempo, and often act as mental anchors, especially during gruelling workouts.
Kipyegon and Soi’s journey began when the former was still a junior. He has played a crucial role in shaping her dominance on the track, from her historic feat of winning three consecutive Olympic gold medals to shattering world records with effortless grace.
Sang emphasised the importance of trust in the athlete-pacemaker relationship.
“In anything that you do, you need to have somebody’s trust, especially when it comes to tough sessions and, in this context, training, you need to have somebody’s trust,” Sang offered.
“And for the years that we have worked together, Soi has been a real partner who is in tune with what Faith does in terms of pace at specific times. He has been a very good training partner, and without Soi, I think Faith would be slightly different,” he continued.
On her side, Kipyegon expressed her gratitude to the team, especially her unsung hero, Soi, noting that he has been the backbone behind her successes on the track.
“We live by that spirit here in Kaptagat, and I am grateful for the team around me. Especially my coach Patrick Sang and my teammate Benard, who has been helping me hit my times in every training session for the past decade,” she averred.
The track queen will launch her 2025 Diamond League season on Saturday, 26 April, by featuring at the opening event in Xiamen, China. She will surprisingly run in the women’s 1000m, where many expect her to go for a world record.
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