Betty Chepkemoi sets lofty targets after Vienna triumph
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 11.04.25. | 21:15
She improved her debut time of 2:34:52 from Istanbul last year to 2:24:14 in less-than-ideal conditions
Betty Chepkemoi celebrated her first major triumph in road running and her biggest career win at the Vienna City Marathon last weekend.
The Kenyan, originally a steeplechaser who switched to road running in 2021, smashed her personal best (PB) by over ten minutes, improving her debut time of 2:34:52 from Istanbul last year to 2:24:14.
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She had been the second slowest runner on Vienna’s elite start list and was never considered as a favourite.
“I never ran in such cold conditions before," Chepkemoi who endured ice cold weather to win offered. "I am really happy as it is quite an impressive PB."
Training in Kapsabet, under Italian coach Claudio Berardelli, Chepkemoi made her half marathon debut in the Rome Ostia race with a time of 66:37 PB, finishing second.
She took a break from running for nine months while away for military training in 2022 and struggled to find her form upon return to competitive racing.
In November 2024, she made her marathon debut in Istanbul. Victory at the Vienna City Marathon strengthens her ultimate dream- running the Olympic marathon.
“I know that I will have to run considerably faster to achieve this. But it is possible," said Chepkemoi.
Haftamu Abadi en Betty Chepkemoi zijn de verrassende winnaars van de 42e Vienna City Marathon. Beiden behaalden enorme persoonlijke records in bijna ijskoude omstandigheden, terwijl ze pas hun tweede wedstrijd marathon liepenhttps://t.co/WN87ZCyk76 #hardloopnieuws pic.twitter.com/Oa7HwdCcow
— Hardloopnieuws.nl (@Hardloopnieuws) April 6, 2025
The icey weather slowed down the races in Vienna. The women passed 5k in 17:24, indicating a 2:27 finishing time. They did pick up the pace a bit from then on, but there was no chance to get anywhere near split times in the region of a sub 2:23 pace or even the 2:20:59 course record.
Shortly before the half marathon point the Kenyan trio of Chepkemoi, Rebecca Tanui and Catherine Cherotich had build a lead. They stayed together until the 36k mark when Chepkemoi broke away and went on to win the race.
“It was not easy in these cold conditions and without pacemakers during the second half. I think I will be able to run faster in the future," she pronounced at the finish line.
