Peres Jepchirchir, a renowned Olympic champion in women’s marathon, is setting her sights on future glory after withdrawing from the highly anticipated New York Marathon due to a calf injury. Despite this setback, she remains determined to make her mark in the marathon circuit.
Jepchirchir revealed her plans, stating, “I’ll be heading back home to recuperate, take about a week to rest, and receive the necessary treatment. I’ll have to wait until my body is fully recovered to prepare for the Olympics. However, it all depends on the decision of our national federation (Athletics Kenya). As far as I know, Eliud Kipchoge and I will be defending our titles, and the team selection will follow.”
Her unfortunate absence from the New York Marathon stemmed from an untimely lower leg injury that surfaced during her final marathon training session.
Regardless of the initial hopes for recovery, Jepchirchir’s situation didn’t improve after two days of intensive physical therapy, leading to the decision to sit out the race.
“I’m still optimistic about defending my Olympic title in Paris next year. I want to ensure my participation in the Olympics and don’t want to risk that by pushing too soon,” she mentioned, wishing the best to all participants of the New York Marathon.
Coming off the triumph at the 2022 Boston Marathon, her journey to New York was filled with ambition, having made history at the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, where she secured an unprecedented third consecutive world half marathon title.
Missing out on securing a second New York Marathon title was disheartening for her. Jepchirchir expressed her disappointment, saying, “I’m far from pleased when my preparation for a race is disrupted by an injury. Yet, I understand it’s part of an athlete’s career. It’s affected me mentally, but I’m confident I’ll regain my fitness.”
Though faced with this setback, Jepchirchir embraced the discussion about the world record in women’s marathons.
While admitting the challenges of breaking the record anytime soon, she shared her aspiration of achieving this milestone someday. “Breaking the world record isn’t an easy feat, especially not in the near future. I’ve never prepared specifically for it.
However, I trust that one day, I’ll be the one to set a new record,” she noted. Jepchirchir, a former world record holder for the half marathon, remains ambitious about future achievements.
Her withdrawal from the New York Marathon follows the absence of two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and the men’s defending champion Evans Chebet. These unexpected setbacks have only fueled her determination for future success.
