L. MathekaObiri draws inspiration from Edna ahead of New York marathon
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 20.08.22. | 11:55
The 42-year old has had an illustrious career on the road and in the classic distance.
"When I saw her on the starting lineup, I was extremely happy. It will be an honour competing against her."
These are the sentiments of two-time 5000m world champion Hellen Obiri on having to race against the experienced Edna Kiplagat at the New York marathon.
The double Olympic silver medalist will be making her debut in a star-studded field that also has Olympics champion Peres Jepchirchir who will be out to defend the title in New York.
Obiri, however, singled out Kiplagat as one of her greatest mentors who has walked with her in her career and has played a huge part in her switch to marathon racing.
"Who wouldn't want to have such a long and successful career. She is such an inspiration and I have looked up to her even when I was a track athlete.
Now that I moved to road racing, I have made it a habit to reach out to her for advice and more so when I made the decision to go into the Classic distance.
She has been very helpful in telling me what to do as part of my preparations for New York and in marathon racing in general," offered Obiri.
While the world cross country champion will be making her debut, Kiplagat will be one of, if not the most, experienced runners in the elite list.
The 42-year old has had an illustrious career on the road and in the classic distance winning the New York marathon in 2010 to establish herself as an elite runner. She also won the Los Angeles marathon the same year.
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She won the world titles in 2011 and 2013 in Daegu and Moscow respectively. In 2012, she ran what stands as her personal best time in the distance for runner-up in the London marathon in 2:19.50.
She had won silver the previous year in the same race and made it a triple in silvers in 2013 before winning hold in 2014.
At 37, she won the Boston marathon in 2:21:52, having finished fifth at the world marathon two years earlier in Beijing. She won silver at the World Championships in 2017 in London.
At age 39, she was second at the 2019 Boston Marathon and fourth at the World Athletics Marathon World Championship. At age 41, she won the 2021 Bix 7 road race, the Falmouth Road Race, and was 2nd again at the Boston Marathon.
She has a bronze medal from the 2016 Tokyo marathon and silver from Chicago Marathon the same year.
"We spoke when I saw her name on the start-line for New York as I was excited to get that chance to compete against her.
Her inspiration is so much so, that I have planned to spent the tail end of my training for New York in the United States preparing alongside her. I know I have alot of lessons to pick from her," added Obiri.
