By Paul Gains
At just 24 years old, the native of Mount Elgon in the Great Rift Valley aims to make it three for three when he competes in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label race, Oct. 18.
“My target for now is under 2:06 if the weather is good and if the course is good,” Kiprotich said during a WhatsApp video call from coach Julian Alonso’s house in Iten. “My target is to run under 2:06.”
Kiprotich made his debut at the 2025 Tallinn Marathon in Estonia, winning in a modest time of 2:11:21. That was in September. Then, in April, he dominated the Vienna Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:06:53.
His margin of victory — 77 seconds over Eritrea’s Oqbe Ruesom — was so large that he blew kisses to the crowd on his way to the finish. Ruesom has run under 2:06 twice.
“I started pushing from 27 km,” Kiprotich recalled of Vienna. “But I saw it was too far to the finish, so I came back again. But I went again at 30 km. I tried to push alone up to 32 km, then I left him and went on alone.
“It was my tactic because during my training we prepared for it. Before I went to Vienna, I tried to run 40 km in Iten. That was my preparation in training.”
Alonso, an Argentine physiotherapist who moved to Iten with his wife, works for Volare Management, a Dutch-based sports management agency with a large group of world-class marathoners. Leonard Langat, the 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon winner, is represented by the agency, although he lives in Kerengit rather than Iten. Volare’s head coach is Sammy Bii, and Alonso plays a supporting role.
“My target was not to rush to the marathon,” Kiprotich said. “But I was at my home in Mount Elgon, and when I came to Iten, I found a good training group — that is the Volare Management group. So I got a good group.
“As I got stronger, I started training with the women, and then after a while I ran with the men. When I felt confident in long runs, I finished the long runs. It was a good decision to run the marathon.”
Growing up in the Mount Elgon region, he was exposed to many runners as a child. Both his parents competed in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at Kenyan national championships. Among his neighbours were several international runners whom he would see training on nearby roads.
“In my area, there are Kenyan-born athletes who run for Qatar,” he said. “I think you might know the name Felix Kibore. He is my neighbour.
“I started running when I was young, when I was still in school. I remember when I was young, we liked watching Eliud Kipchoge. I wanted to be like him.”
Kibore finished sixth at the 2008 World Cross-Country Championships and was an Olympic 5,000-metre finalist for Qatar that same year.
Running in Kenyan culture is not purely for enjoyment. It can be a route to a better future, hence the temptation to switch citizenship. Kiprotich used earnings from his first two marathons to build a home for his parents near Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano on the Kenya-Uganda border. They have a plot of land where they farm. It is four hours from Iten.
“The first races I ran, Tallinn and Vienna, my first thing afterwards, I bought land and now I am building a house for my parents. I am almost finished. So that is my first target,” he said. “Now I need to start to invest in myself because I have already started the first part of the house for my parents. So after Toronto, my future is to maybe buy land and then to construct houses.”
“My place in Iten is good. Everything is good. I have a girlfriend — sometimes I call her my wife — she is also an athlete. Cynthia is her name.”
Between training sessions, Kiprotich enjoys listening to gospel and Kalenjin music with Cynthia and watching English Premier League soccer. He supports Manchester United.
It is early in the buildup to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. To perform well, he must follow the training program set out by Bii. It would also help if he studied the Toronto course. Alonso said Kiprotich is eager to do so.
“He arrived early for this interview,” Alonso said. “We were looking on the internet at the profile of the race so he can start planning. Before this meeting, he didn’t have too much information and now we are going to focus. He will do specific preparation for Toronto.”
Kiprotich appears confident in his ability — and why not? He has astonished many with his sudden rise, and he seems keen to race the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
“It is my first time coming to North America,” he said. “My target is to run some World Marathon Majors, then the Olympics or world championships.”
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label race. As the field is finalized, it will surely bring out the best in Kiprotich. Whether that means he maintains an unbeaten streak at his new distance remains to be seen.
