Faith Kipyegon and Waithaka Mburu were featured at the press conference at the Bomas Inn in Eldoret ahead of the Sirikwa Classic World Athletics Cross Country Tour gold event that will happen tomorrow 4th February 2023.
“Thanks for inviting me to the event. I am glad to be part of the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country which will act as a good build-up for me ahead of the track season. Cross country helps a lot in building endurance,” Kipyegon said.
“I am not a good steeplechase runner, but I am looking forward to trying the steeplechase at the Sirikwaa Classic tomorrow,” she added, talking about the barriers that have been erected on the course..
Asked, by Ayumba Ayodi of Nation Media, about her plans for the year and whether she was going to attack the world record, Kipyegon said that her reparations to run well this year are good and that she is still working on building endurance. “I am glad to be back. We shall go to the drawing board with my coach and see how we shall go towards a world record.”
She was speaking right next to her coach, Patrick Sang, who went further to paint the possibility of a world record happening this year. “She came so close to the record in Monaco, and I believe that with good preparation, we can cross our fingers and wait for something good in the Horizon,” said Sang.
Stanley Waithaka Mburu was happy to return to the Lobo village in Eldoret. He is also glad that the muddy section on the course where he “almost drowned” last year has been removed.
“I am looking forward to a good run. Last year was an amazing season for me, and it all started here in this cross-country event,” said Mburu, who went ahead and won a silver medal for Kenya at the World Championships in Eugene. “Cross country is not just physical but also a mental toughness test,” he added.
Mburu who is hoping to qualify to represent the country at the world championships and hopefully end the 10,000m draught for Kenya said that he learned a lot from the last season. He also saw a sign.
“ The silver medal in Eugene was as smoke, and it shows there will be fire. The big drought in the 10,000m will come to an end,” Mburu said.
Celestine Karoney, a veteran sports journalist from Kenya, was the moderator.
Patrick Sang, the legendary coach of Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon; Ibrahim Hussein,…
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