Reigning London Marathon champion outlines dangers of running road races while still young
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 13.01.25. | 16:39
Jepchirchir revealed that her early foray into road races significantly contributed to the injuries that sidelined her from major events in 2023 and 2024
Reigning London Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has a word of caution for Kenya’s young athletes: hold off on road racing until later in your career.
According to Jepchirchir, a shift towards road races at an early age could be hurting the long-term success and well-being of Kenya’s rising talents.
Drawing from her experience, Jepchirchir revealed that her early foray into road races significantly contributed to the injuries that sidelined her from major events in 2023 and 2024 New York City Marathons.
“Back in school, I used to run track and field, but I was not that serious. When I finished high school, I went straight into training for road races because all my teammates were road racers at the time,” she said in an interview with Sports Wave Africa Foundation.
She went on to emphasize the toll road racing can take on young bodies.
“In road races, there is a huge impact, and injuries are always on and off. But those who have competed in track races have matured enough to handle road races better,” she averred.
Despite these challenges, the 31-year-old's 2024 London Marathon victory was nothing short of spectacular.
She outpaced Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in the final 300 meters to win in 2:16:16 seconds, breaking Mary Keitany’s 2017 course record of 2:17:01.
Assefa, fresh off her world-record performance of 2:11:53 at the Berlin Marathon, finished second in 2:16:23, while Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei took third in 2:16:24.
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Her concerns echo those of 1992 Olympic steeplechase champion Matthew Birir. In a previous interview with Mozzart Sport, Birir elaborated on the toll road races can take on a developing body.
“When you see us losing in some events, it is because people are crossing over to road racing while they are young. Back then, the marathon was only for mature athletes, but today, people under 25 years are crossing to marathons,” Birir said.
“Running 42 kilometres on a harder surface over a long time is torturing your body. If you torture your body when you are young, it will hinder your development,” he warned.
Birir highlighted the career trajectory of marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge as a model for young athletes.
Kipchoge spent years honing his skills on the track before transitioning to the marathon, a strategy that has contributed to his legendary longevity in the sport.
“Young athletes should follow the example of Eliud Kipchoge. He ran track as a junior, and then as a senior for many years before graduating to the marathon.
That is why he has lasted for over 25 years. If you are young, do it gradually, and then as you grow, you exit to the marathon,” he concluded.
