Hellen Obiri terms Paris Olympics Marathon as most 'brutal' race in her career

Former World Champion Hellen Obiri has described the Paris 2024 Olympics marathon as the most gruelling race of her illustrious career.

Despite heading into the event with hopes of claiming gold, Obiri walked away with a hard-fought bronze medal, which she now views as a significant achievement.

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The race, marked by hilly terrain and soaring temperatures, saw Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan clinch gold, followed by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in the silver position. Obiri completed the podium, earning her first-ever Olympic marathon medal in what proved to be an unrelenting test of physical and mental endurance.

Reflecting on her performance, the two-time world 5000m champion admitted the race did not go as she had envisioned. Despite that, she was grateful for the lessons learned.

“Gold is amazing because it shows you are an Olympic champion, which is an amazing feat. But for me, getting a bronze shows sometimes you cannot force things to happen.

Heading into the Olympics, it was the only medal I was missing, but getting a bronze was also amazing because there were many people there, and everyone wanted to make the top three,” she shared in an interview with LetsRun.com.

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The Paris marathon, she revealed, was a wake-up call to the realities of elite marathon racing.

“My Paris race was brutal…I have never raced in a marathon like that one. When I was watching the video, I thought it was an easy one, but during the actual race, I saw it was actually a brutal race,” the 30-year-old continued.

The harsh conditions pushed Obiri to dig deep, both physically and mentally, providing her with a valuable lesson in resilience.

“It was important to compete there because it gave me a picture of how to train my mind to be strong mentally and learn to train for such hard races,” she added.

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In the aftermath of the race, Obiri took an extended three-week break to recover, a period longer than her usual rest. Initially surprised by the toll the marathon took on her body, she acknowledged the importance of giving herself time to reset.

For Obiri, the bronze medal may not have been her ultimate goal, but it showcased the resilience and adaptability required at the highest level of competition.

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With the experience of Paris under her belt, the marathoner remains a formidable contender for future marathons.