Faith Kipyegon reveals duo inspiring her to cross over to marathon running
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 14.10.25. | 17:34
Kipyegon admits she draws immense motivation from her former track rivals, who have successfully reinvented themselves as dominant road runners
Quadruple world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon says watching Hellen Obiri and Sifan Hassan’s dazzling performances on the marathon stage has fuelled her own desire to one day conquer the 42km distance.
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The 31-year-old Kenyan star has already expressed interest in gradually transitioning from her trademark 1,500m to longer distances, the 5,000m, 10,000m, and eventually, the marathon.
Kipyegon admits she draws immense motivation from her former track rivals, who have successfully reinvented themselves as dominant road runners.
"I feel so motivated to see the athletes I have competed with running in the marathon, and they are running very good,” Kipyegon told Citius Mag.
“Looking at people like Sifan and Obiri, they were running 1,500m.”
Over the years, she has shared memorable duels with both Obiri and Hassan across global championships.
Their paths first crossed at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, where Obiri took bronze in 4:03.86 while Kipyegon finished fifth in 4:05.08.
A year later, they joined forces at the 2014 Bahamas World Relays teaming up with Mercy Cherono and Irene Jelagat to win gold in the women’s 4x1,500m relay, setting a world record of 16:33.58.
That same year, Obiri struck gold at the African Championships in Marrakech (4:09.53) while Kipyegon placed fifth (4:13.46).
But the tables turned at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where Kipyegon claimed gold (4:08.94) as Obiri finished sixth (4:10.84).
Her rivalry with Hassan has been equally compelling.
Kipyegon triumphed over the Dutch star at the Rio 2016 Olympics (4:08.92), the London 2017 World Championships (4:02.59), and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (3:53.11), with Hassan finishing fifth, fifth, and third respectively.
In Budapest 2023, Kipyegon again reigned supreme in 3:54.87 as Hassan took bronze (3:56.00).
While Kipyegon maintained dominance on the track, Obiri and Hassan have since conquered the marathon circuit.
Obiri, a two-time Boston Marathon champion, won in 2023 (2:21:38) and successfully defended in 2024 (2:22:37).
She also claimed victory at the 2023 New York Marathon (2:27:23) and secured podium finishes in New York 2024 (2:24:49) and Boston 2025 (2:17:41).
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Her consistency was crowned with an Olympic bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Games (2:23:10).
Hassan, meanwhile, has carved her name into marathon history, winning Olympic gold in Paris (2:22:55) and collecting major titles in London (2:18:33) and Chicago (2:13:44) in 2023, followed by another triumph in Sydney 2025 (2:18:22).
"They really motivate me a lot. I have that urge that maybe one day, one time, I will also run a marathon in a beautiful way like them,” Kipyegon said.
"When I see them crossing that finish line, I just wish I could get there one day.”
After years of track supremacy, the triple Olympic 1,500m champion says she is excited to test her endurance on the road when the time is right.
"When my time comes, I will join them in the marathon and see what the road will offer, just like the track."
