Gladys Chemutai credited her triumph at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on Sunday to inspiration from Chicago Marathon third-place finisher Irene Cheptai.
Chemutai powered through the women’s 42km in 2:31:52 ahead of Caroline Koech ( 2:35:00 ) and Joy Kemuma ( 2:36:06 ).
The 28-year old Iten-based runner praised her training partner, Cheptai, for instilling in her the mindset of a champion.
“Cheptai gave me the morale to keep fighting. Following in the footsteps of a champion like her gave me the courage to push for victory,” Chemutai said of the 2017 World Cross Country champion.
Cheptai had finished third at the Chicago Marathon on October 3, posting 2:17:51 behind world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich ( 2:09:56 ) and Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede ( 2:17:32 ).
Chemutai dedicated her win to Cheptai and her family.
“This victory is for my mentor, Cheptai, and also for my husband and four-year-old son. They couldn’t be here, but I had promised them a good result,” she said.
The turning point came around the 17km mark on Sunday.
“I wasn’t expecting the win, but when I saw others starting to drop off, I knew I had to go for it,” Chemutai revealed.
Over the moon after securing her first marathon win, Chemutai acknowledged last year’s StanChart and the 2024 Riyadh Marathon as building blocks for her performance.
“Earlier this year, I finished fifth at the Riyadh Marathon. I featured in last year’s race where I finished fifth. I am greatful those races I have competed in have given me the much-needed experience,” she said.
On February 10, Chemutai clocked 2:29:53 for fifth in Riyadh. Ethiopians took the top four places.
Chemutai clocked 2:30:52 for fifth place last year, a race won by Evaline Chirchir ( 2:24:31 ) followed by Aurelia Jerotich ( 2:26:49 ) and Sheila Chepkech ( 2:27:16 ).
Chemutai yearns to represent the country at next year’s World Championships in Tokyo.
“I pray for the opportunity to wear the Kenyan jersey,” she said. Ronald Kimeli won the men’s race in 2:13:05 to edge out Dominic Kipkirui ( 2:13:13 ) and Peter Kwemoi ( 2:13:14 ).
The 38-year old, who has participated in the event since 2012, was thrilled to finally secure the top spot.
“I have been competing in the StanChart Marathon since 2012 but I have never won. Last year, I failed to finish, unfortunately. So coming here today and winning is such a good feeling for me,” he noted.
The 38-year-old attributed his success to moving his training from Iten to Eldoret.
“Switching training grounds made a big difference. It’s great to see it pay off,” he added.
The win earned him Sh2 million, which he plans to invest in an apartment in Eldoret. “I will use the money to build an apartment in Eldoret,” he added.
Debutant Gladys Koech won the women’s half marathon in 1:12:10 ahead of Esther Chemutai ( 1:12:12 ) and Mercy Jerotich ( 1:13:59 ).
“The race was tough, but I pushed myself. I didn’t expect to win, especially with this being my first StanChart Marathon,” she said.
She credited her win to a strong showing at the Lukenya Half Marathon earlier this year.
“I competed at the Lukenya Half Marathon where I finished second. That gave me the morale and motivation I needed for today,” she said.
At the Lukenya Half Marathon, Keoch clocked 1:10:58 to trail Martha Akeno ( 1:10:26 ) with Lilian Lelei ( 1:11:03 ) taking the bronze medal.
Koech will pocket Sh300,000.
“I am happy and thank God I was able to win this cash prize. I have not yet planned for it,” Koech revealed.
Vincent Mutai took top honours in the men’s 21km race in 1:03:27, followed by Keyborn Oboto ( 1:03:34 ) and Silas Chepkwony ( 1:03:51 ).
The 28-year-old, training under Bernard Ouma at the Rongai Athletics Club, noted that while the win was unexpected, his consistent preparation paved the way for success.
“The weather was perfect and my training gave me the confidence to push for the win,” he said.
“I did not expect to win today but owing to the amount of practice I had put into my training, I decided to go for it,” he added.
Looking forward, Mutai aims to make his mark in the 10,000m at the 2025 World Championships.
“If all goes well in training, I hope to represent Kenya on the global stage,” he shared.