Chepkoech: Breaking world record was one big surprise

What you need to know:

  • World 3,000m steeplechase record holder opens up about her life, career on the track and lowest moment of her career - when she missed the water jump at 2017 World Championships and was forced back and nearly fell, finishing fourth.

World record holder in women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase, Beatrice Chepkoech was not even aware she had broken the world record when she beat everyone at the IAAF Diamond League Meeting at the Stade Louis II Stadium in Monaco on July 20.

Breaking the 3,000m steeplechase record was not even among her plans. After the race, she was surprised to see some of her competitors and race officials congratulating her afterwards. Later, an electronic board lit up inside the Stade Louis II Stadium with her new world record.

“The world record was not in my mind. I was just aiming to run my Personal Best in Monaco Diamond League. I was surprised to see some sections of the media in Kenya reporting that I was targeting the World Record. After the race, I was equally surprised to see electronic boards inside the stadium indicating that I had broken the World Record,” Chepkoech told Nation Sport in Kericho where she trains.

To her surprise, she went into the race which registered a fast pace and things worked out for her. By the end of the seven and a half laps, she was the world record holder, having won in a time of 8minutes, 44.32seconds, in the process slicing off more than eight seconds from the old record set by Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet.

“I love running in front and following the pacemaker. In Monaco, the pace was very fast and the pacemaker at one time complained,” said the athlete who runs under Global Sports Communications stable.

“When I finished the race, I just knew I was the Diamond League jackpot winner and I was not aware that I had broken the world record. To my surprise, I saw the big screens inside the stadium displaying my winning time and indicating that I had lowered the 3,000m steeplechase record,” she says with joy.

Chepkoech attributes her success in lowering the world record to the pacemaker in the race, Caroline Tuigong.

“Caroline Tuigong is a good athlete and I’m really grateful to her for the good job she did in setting and maintaining a quick pace. I was able to break the record because of her and the good weather condition in Monaco on the day of the race,” says Chepkoech. The 28-year-old athlete insists the best is yet to come. She looks back to her success in the ended season with joy and is looking forward to a better one.

“It is possible to still lower that time (8:44.32). I will be training hard for the new season during which I will aim to record my personal best,” said the Kericho-based athlete.

Jepkoech has had a long journey in her athletics career, having started participating in the short races during her schooling days. ‘Humble’ and ‘polite’ are the words her friends and training partners use to describe her.

Nation Sport caught up with her at Kericho Teachers College grounds doing what she loves most with her training partners.

“You have came here when this field is dry and looks nice. It’s normally tough for us during the rainy season but we are happy because the institution gave us a place to train after the County government closed down the Kericho Stadium for renovation,” says the athlete.

Born in Beshabei Village in Konoin Constituency of Bomet County, Chepkoech developed interest in athletics at Class Three and tried competing in all track races. She took up serious training after joining Kamung’ei Secondary School in 2009, but she was still undecided on her specialty.

“When I joined Kamung’ei Secondary School, I competed in various track races and I was not sure which to specialise in. At one time I would train for 400 metres hurdles and compete to the national level,” says the 28-year-old.

Beatrice Chepkoech (left) and Cellphine Chespol celebrate at the end of the women's 3,000m steeplechase final during the Athletics Kenya National Athletics Championships on June 23, 2018 at Kasarani. PHOTO | AYUBA AYODI |

After missing a chance to join University of Alabama in USA where she had secured a scholarship, she embarked on serious training and moved from Kericho to Kapsabet in Nandi County and later to Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

“I decided to start full training and I pitched camp at Kapsabet to train for 800 metres. I also used to do pace-setting for road racers during training in 2011,” says the athlete.

Her stay in Kapsabet didn’t bear fruit and she moved to Iten and continued training in 800m and also took up 1,500m races. Her first competitive race was a 1,500m competition in Dubai where she finished third, then started running road races in Europe.

She returned home in 2015 for national team trials ahead of the 2015 World Championships in Beijing but she wound up third, thereby missing a place in 1,500m team. But she was drafted into Team Kenya squad for 2015 All Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo.

“I really wanted to represent my country in the 2015 World Championships in Beijing but I didn’t get a slot in the 1,500m team. I was included in the team that proceeded to Brazzaville for the All Africa Games where I bagged silver. I consider this the start of my career,” said Chepkoech.

In 2016, Chepkoech was part of Kenya’s team to the Olympic Games, and she didn’t disappoint. She came fourth in 3,000m steeplechase and was ranked the fifth fastest woman in the world.

“Going to the Olympics gave me good experience and that is where I started concentrating on the 3,000 m steeplechase. I knew I would settle on that category. Going over the hurdles gave me a lot of joy,” she says. She later joined Kiganjo Police Training College, graduating in 2017 before embarking on serious training in Kericho.

She considers 2017 World Championships in London the worst event in her career. She missed a water jump during women’s 3,000 metres final and was forced to go back and clear the barrier, eventually finishing in fourth position after clocking 9:10.45.

“I felt so bad in London. I was leading, then I missed the water jump which forced me to go back. I nearly fell after one of the athletes stepped on me. It cost us medals in the World Championships,” she says. The 2018 season started with a seventh-place finish at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, where she competed in 1,500m race, clocking 4:13.59. She proceeded to the Commonwealth Games in April where she claimed silver behind South Africa’s Caster Semenya after running in 4:03.09 in Gold Coast, Australia. She was in the Kenyan team that competed in the African Championships in Asaba, Nigeria, where the took gold in 3,000m steeplechase after running in 8:59.88. She won three Diamond League races (in Paris, Monaco and Brussels), and finished fifth in Rome to be crowned overall winner of the Diamond League series, a title she hopes to successfully defend.

From left: Kenya's Fancy Cherono (bronze), Beatrice Chepkoech (gold) and Celliphine Chespol (silver) celebrate at the end of the women's 3,000m final in the Africa Athletics Championships at Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba on August 5, 2018. PHOTO | ELIAS MAKORI |