Helen Obiri’s Boston marathon win is a big indicator of her prospects ahead of the Paris Olympics

Helen Obiri’s Boston marathon win is a big indicator of her prospects ahead of the Paris Olympics.

We’ve seen this script many times. A track star in distance running converts to running on the road, and they reignite a new level of dominance that has never been seen before. Typically, runners who are past 30 years of age are the ones that follow these patterns. However, the last few years have even seen athletes in their prime on track combined, running on the road and still being very active on the track.

On the surface, one can chalk it down to making more money for the runners because, let’s face it, state governments and race organizers pump huge money into these road races. With a small percentage of B-athletes winning at a world championship or Olympic games, they usually fancy their chances on the road. This brings us to the woman of the moment, Helen Obiri.

Well, she isn’t an outlier, but one of the few runners who have converted to running on the road and have been churning out big performances. Her latest win in Boston is an indicator of that. Although the timing of the win (which we all fixate on) isn’t impeccable, she closed out the race in 2:22.3. The first woman to win back-to-back Boston Marathons since 2005, and the sixth overall. Obiri ran with an unusually large lead pack of 15 through Brookline before breaking away in the final few miles. But the story is more than this.

The question arises: Is Hellen Obiri now a better marathoner than she was on track? While her track career boasts impressive accolades, including two world outdoor titles and two Olympic silver medals, her marathon career is gaining momentum. Obiri has won three out of four career marathons, securing victories in Boston twice and New York once. Looking ahead, she is poised to represent Kenya at the Paris Olympics, allowing her to pursue the one title that has eluded her on the track: an Olympic gold. The Kenyan team is stacked, and Obiri will be looking to replicate the feats of the great Eliud Kipchoge.

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