News Article by MarathonGuide.com Staff

Possible Kenyan Olympic Marathon Team narrowed to five men and six women - a who's who of marathoners

April 7, 2024

Athletics Kenya has narrowed down the list of potential marathoners to represent the country in the 2024 Paris Olympics from the ten men and ten women announced in December 2023 to six women and five men. Each country is allowed to have three participants and Athletics Kenya will announce the selected three men and women following the upcoming Boston and London Marathons. Remaining in the running (pun intended) are five men with personal bests under 2:03:15! Two time-defending Olympic champion, 8-time WMM champion, and fastest living marathoner, Eliud Kipchoge with a personal best of 2:01:09 leads the list of male candidates. Kipchoge is followed on the list by Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (PB 2:03:13 as runner-up behind Kipchoge at the 2023 Berlin Marathon); Timothy Kipglagat (PB 2:02:55 as runner-up at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon behind Benson Kipruto); Benson Kipruto (PB 2:02:16 and winner of the 2021 Boston, 2022 Chicago and 2024 Tokyo Marathons); and Alexander Mutiso, a late addition to the list with a personal best of 2:03:11 as runner-up at the 2023 Valencia Marathon. Kelvin Kiptum was on the original December list of possible team members and would have been a favorite to make the team - he will be severely missed.

The six women on the list announced by Athletics Kenya include Ruth Chepngetich (PB 2:14:18, 2019 Marathon world champion, two-time Chicago Marathon champion and 2021 Olympic Games marathon team member/DNF); Brigid Kosgei (PB 2:14:04, 2021 Olympics Silver medalist and previous London, Tokyo and two-time Chicago Marathon champion); Hellen Obiri (PB 2:25:49 and 2023 New York City and London Marathon); Rosemary Wanjiru (PB 2:16:14, 2023 Tokyo Marathon champion and 2022 Berlin and 2024 Tokyo Marathon runner-up); Sharon Lokedi (PB 2:23:23 and 2022 New York City Marathon champion). Rounding out the six is one of our favorites, Peres Jepchirchir (PB 2:17:16, defending Olympic Marathon champion, three-time defending World Half Marathon champion and prior Boston and New York City Marathon champion).

Also announced were the coaches for the Kenyan Marathon team - Amos Korir, Nicholas Koech and Patrick Sang. Marathon great, Mary Keitany, was announced as the Marathon Team Coordinator.