Chebet reveals Frankfurt Marathon intention

Three-time Amsterdam marathon champion Wilson Chebet after training in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County on October 22, 2018. Chebet will compete in the Frankfurt Marathon this Sunday. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |

What you need to know:

  • The athlete, who has been training in Kaptagat, believes that his training will deliver him good results on Sunday.
  • “Kaptagat is the best place to train. The likes of Amsterdam Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono and Berlin Marathon champion and record holder Eliud Kipchoge train here,” added the athlete, who is under the International Athletics Consultancy management.

Heavy rains played havoc on the Boston Marathon race in April severely affecting the favourites who ended up not featuring in the list of top finishers.

Among this elite field was former three-time Amsterdam Marathon champion Wilson Chebet who, in fact, did not finish the race.

Fast forward to today, Chebet is once again among the favourites in the field named for Sunday’s Frankfurt Marathon. And he is not taking any chances.

Nation Sport caught up with the determined athlete finalising his training in the leafy suburbs of Elgon View in Eldoret.

“I have wound up my training and this is just easy because I will be flying out later today. My training was good and I’m happy that I was able to train even on the onset of the short rains,” he said.

Chebet has won an Amsterdam Marathon hat-trick — 2011, 2012 and 2013.

He went down in history in 2011 as the only runner to rule the roads of Holland undisputed — winning Amsterdam and Rotterdam marathons — in a season.

The athlete said that after his poor performance in Boston in April due to bad weather, he decided to intensive his training with an eye on capturing another big city marathon title.

“I have been in this profession for a long time but I have never experienced such weather in my entire career. The conditions were tough and that forced me to pull out of the race,” said Chebet.

The athlete, who has been training in Kaptagat, believes that his training will deliver him good results on Sunday.

“Kaptagat is the best place to train. The likes of Amsterdam Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono and Berlin Marathon champion and record holder Eliud Kipchoge train here,” added the athlete, who is under the International Athletics Consultancy management.

Chebet said that he was looking forward to redeeming his name after failing to win in his more recent races this and last season.

Last year Chebet competed in three marathons finishing fifth in Boston, eighth in Amsterdam Marathon and second in Honolulu behind Lawrence Cherono.

Chebet who started his running career in 2005, helped Team Kenya clinch gold at the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, England where he emerged sixth.

He expects stiff competition from compatriots Gilbert Yegon (PB 2:06:18), Martin Kosgey (2:07:22), Weldon Kirui (2:09:06) among others.

In the women’s category, Paris Marathon champion Betsy Saina will clash with former Boston Marathon winner Valentine Kipketer (PB 2:23:02), Nancy Kiprop (2:24:18), Janet Rono (2:26:03) and Sylvia Medugu (2:29:09).