The men’s team

Based on the World Athletics’ global rankings, the top four Kenyan men’s marathon runners made the Olympic team. They include Benson Kipruto who is ranked second, Alexander Mutiso Munyao (3rd), Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (5th) and Timothy Kiplagat (9th). The number one athlete still on the list is Kelvin Kiptum.

The four who have been announced by Athletics Kenya — with two-time defending Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge — make for an all-star cast. Kipchoge is ranked globally at 16th due to his slower 2:06:50 Tokyo Marathon in March this year but is still capable of winning.

The 39-year-old former record holder has run as fast as 2:01:09. He also held the previous world record at 2:01:39. The current world record was set by Kiptum at 2:00:35. Kipchoge is just one and a half years removed from running Berlin in the time of 2:02:42. An event that he has won five times.

Kipruto won the 2024 Tokyo Marathon in 2:02:16, which is the 33-year-old’s personal best. Kipruto won the 2021 Boston and 2022 Chicago Marathons. Munyao is ranked third based on the strength of his 2023 Valencia Marathon second-place finish in the time of 2:03:11. The year prior he finished third in Valencia in 2:03:29. The former is the 27-year-old’s lifetime personal best. Ngetich clocked 2:03:13 in the 2023 Berlin Marathon to finish second. In the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, he finished third in 2:04:18. Finally, Kiplagat took second in the Tokyo Marathon this year and second in the 2023 NN Running Marathon in Rotterdam clocking 2:02:55 and 2:03:50, respectively.

Despite Kipchoge’s current ranking and the unfortunate passing of Kiptum, Kenya fields the strongest team with three of the top five and four of the top nine. On the outside looking in is Evans Chebet, ranked 10th (9th of eligible athletes). He has run as fast as 2:05:54 during the 2023 Boston Marathon and 2:08:41 in New York — a tougher course. Athletics Kenya is likely banking on Kipchoge running very well to become the first to win three consecutive Olympic Marathon gold medals.

The women’s team

The women’s team will be led by defending Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir. She will be joined by former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei, as well as current Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri. Also on the team are 2023 Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru, and two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich. Former New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi is an alternate.

Chepng’etich is ranked third on the strength of her 2022 Chicago Marathon winning time of 2:14:18. Wanjiru twice ran 2:16 at the Tokyo Marathon taking first overall in 2:16:28 in 2023 and second in 2:16:14 in 2024. Kosgei finished second at the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympic Games marathon in Sapporo, Japan. Both she and Jepchirchir proved they could handle the heat as it was 34C on the day, going 1-2.

Obiri, who, late in her athletics career moved from the 5000m event to the marathon, makes for a quick study. In 2023, she won both the Boston (2:21:38) and New York City Marathons (2:27:23). It could be argued that she is likely capable of 2:16 to 2:18 on a faster course like Berlin, London or Chicago. The 33-year-old has an official personal best of 2:25:49 from the 2022 New York City Marathon which was her debut. Boston does not count toward records but is the full-on 42.195-kilometre distance with hills. Clocking 2:21:38 in her third effort at the distance bodes well for a solid run in the Olympics. She is a two-time Olympic 5000m silver medallist.

Obiri will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15, looking ahead to defending her title from 2023. She feels the pressure to perform.

Obiri told Citius Magazine, “I’m feeling happy and excited to be back and I feel good. This year I have a lot of pressure because I’m the defending champion and I know that people are going to be watching me.

“I also have to be in my best shape and show people that I am the best in what I do. I have competed with a lot of strong athletes all over the world for so many years….when I go to the Boston Marathon, I will be competing as Hellen Obiri and I will give my best at the event.”

Lokedi has run the two previous editions of the New York Marathon. She won in 2022 in 2:23:23 and took third in 2023 in 2:27:33.

Jepchirchir is the defending Olympic Champion and former world half-marathon record holder. She is a two-time World Half Marathon Champion.

Curiously, Joyciline Jepkosgei who is ranked higher than Jepchirchir, is not in the mix. She finished fourth in the 2023 Chicago Marathon in the time of 2:17:23. Jepkosgei also won the Barcelona Half Marathon in February this year in 1:04:29.

She has run 2:17 twice and 2:18 once in her career. For Athletics Kenya, it is a case of an embarrassment of riches and regardless of who would be chosen, fast marathon runners will be left off the team.

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