Evans Chebet talks about friendship with Kipchoge and announces that he will try for bi in the NY marathon – 05/11/2023 – Na Corrida

Who is the best marathon runner in the world? If that question were asked in 2022, the answer would be easy: Eliud Kipchoge. The Kenyan just didn’t win a race he competed in almost a decade, he broke the world distance record in September last year and is the only human being to complete the 42 km in less than 2 hours – a feat obtained in Vienna, in 2019, in mark not approved by World Athetics because it took place in an out-of-competition event.

Asking the question again in 2023 is a much more difficult task. Kipchoge is the greatest marathoner of all time, but he faces competition unheard of in his long career. Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum won the London Marathon in a time of 2:01:25 – just 16 seconds slower than Kipchoge’s official record. But, of all the names that emerge, perhaps the most prominent is Evans Chebet.

The 34-year-old Kenyan won the traditional Boston Marathon in April, leaving behind some of the world’s leading runners – Eliud Kipchoge among them. With that, he became two-time champion of the race. He is also the current winner of the New York City Marathon. In the world’s two most high-profile marathons, Evans Chebet is the man to beat.

Chebet has also made the difference in another dispute. The main suppliers of sporting goods compete with each other in a private race to see who accumulates the most victories in the so-called Majors – the six biggest marathons in the world. Chebet, who runs with the Adizero Adios Pro 3, from Adidas, put the German brand at the top of the podium, displacing Nike, his closest rival in the fight for titles in Majors.

In an email interview with the blog On the runEvans Chebet spoke about the decisive moment in the Boston marathon, told about his admiration and friendship with Eliud Kipchoge – whom he called “the best of all times” – and anticipated that he intends to seek the second championship in New York.

Chebet also said that breaking the world record is not a priority, but he admits that his performance is getting better and that surpassing the mark does not seem a distant dream.

You were competing against some of the best runners in the world. At what point in the race did you feel you would win the Boston Marathon?
When Gabriel (Geay, athlete from Tanzania who finished second) picked up the pace around 30km and Eliud Kipchoge did not respond, that was a turning point in the race. I let Gabriel lead the pack while I watched closely how the others reacted. After that I started to close the gap on him, having my teammate Benson (Kipruto, also from Kenya, who finished third) by my side. From there, the three of us broke away from the group and I knew I had a chance of winning the race.

What are your next plans? What are your priorities for 2023? Any specific marathons planned?
After such a tough and grueling race in Boston this spring, I’m taking extra time to recover and plan my next race. However, as the reigning New York Marathon champion, I hope to be back there this fall to defend my title.

Do you see yourself breaking the world record of 2:01:39? Is it a priority for you?
I tend not to focus too much on times. These days, with so many strong competitors, you naturally have to run fast to win big marathons. My performance has improved with each race, so my intention is always to try to break my personal bests and push myself as hard as I can. However, at this point in my career, I intend to remain focused on trying to win races. Breaking the world record is not a priority for me, but it would be an incredible achievement if I could. My personal best isn’t too far off that time, so breaking the world record isn’t completely out of reach.

You hit your peak after turning 30. Kipchoge broke the world record at the age of 38. Do marathon runners improve after age 30? How do you explain it?
Many people agree that endurance running improves with age (to some extent, of course), with studies showing endurance peaks between the ages of 25 and 35. However, I’m turning 35 at the end of this year and I’ve had some of the best races of my career in the last 12 months. I think the main thing about marathons is that they take experience to run well, which comes with age. So it’s less a case of marathon runners ‘getting better’ after turning 30, but more that they have more marathon races under their belt and have learned something new with each race. After each marathon, you go into the next much more prepared and equipped to face the challenge, which results in better performances.

Are you and Eliud Kipchoge friends? What kind of interactions do you usually have? Did you talk to him after the race?
Eliud and I have a strong respect for each other, on many levels – not just as fellow Kenyan marathon runners and athletes, but also as family men. Boston was the first time we met as competitors in a race and so it was a great honor and emotion to race against the best of all time. I hope to have the chance to compete against Eliud in the future, not only do I need to test myself against a great athlete, but I also think it’s important for the sport to have its best athletes competing against each other to increase interest.

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