FEATURE: Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich – the new force in women’s distance running
Kenya’s Chepngetich and her rise to the top
JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (ANA) – Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich has steadily risen up the ranks in women’s road running, with her latest exploit coming at the Istanbul half marathon last weekend when she set a new world record.
The 26-year-old Chepngetich was born in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province – where a number of top athletes have emerged through the years due to the region’s high altitude and ideal training conditions.
Chepngetich’s first appearance at a major road race came at the Rabat Half Marathon in 2016 when she finished fourth in a time of one hour 11 minutes and 33 seconds (1:11:33).
In 2017, Chepngetich would collect no fewer than four victories at the Adana, Paris, Milano and Istanbul Half Marathons. In the process she improved her personal best over 21.1km by over five minutes to 1:06:19.
An unsuccessful, by her standards, World Half Marathon Championships would follow in 2018 as Chepngetich finished 13th in 1:09:12.
Chepngetich would return in emphatic fashion in 2019 with half marathon wins in Istanbul, Gifu and Bogota and improving her personal best in the event to 1:05:30.
Her crowning glory that year, however, would come as Chepngetich made the step up to the marathon to take gold at the Doha World Championships.
Though Chepngetich has three victories in the marathon besides her win at the World Championships, it would be Istanbul where her greatest achievement to date lay in wait.
Claiming victory in the 2021 race, Chepngetich took 29 seconds off the previous world record as she powered across the finish line in 1:04:02.
Chepngetich broke away from Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in the final stages to win by 38 seconds. Two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri (Kenya) was third in 1:04:51 – the fastest debut half marathon in history. It’s the first time three women have finished inside 65 minutes in one half marathon.
“I am really happy with this amazing result,” said Chepngetich. “The world record is something I have been dreaming about for some time and I am so happy to do it on the streets of Istanbul.”
It was Chepngetich’s third victory in Istanbul and her third improvement on the course record. Her 2017 triumph in 1:06:19 was one of her first big breakthrough runs, then she returned two years later to win in 1:05:30.
Given her steady rate of improvement over the half and full marathon, there’s no way of predicting just how much this incredible talent can achieve. – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman
