Evans Chebet has become one of Kenya’s most decorated marathoners, amassing accolades that have cemented his status as a force to reckon with in distance running.
With 30 marathons under his belt and three World Major Marathon titles, Chebet’s career is a tapestry of hard-fought victories and unwavering commitment.
His dominance on the road has made him a familiar name in the Majors, an elite series founded in 2006 and one that celebrates the pinnacle of marathon running through prestigious events in cities like Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.
Sydney will join this elite circle next year, marking the global expansion of marathon excellence.
Chebet has left his mark on this global stage, clinching victories in Boston ( 2022, 2023 ) and New York ( 2022 ).
The achievement is nothing short of monumental, given the gruelling nature of each course and the intense field of competitors.
The ever-changing weather, challenging terrains and the mental toll make winning any of these events an accomplishment few attain.
Just two weeks ago, Chebet returned to the Big Apple, aiming to reclaim his title. Battling fiercely, he finished a close second in 2:07:45, just behind Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands ( 2:07:39 ) and ahead of fellow Kenyan Albert Korir ( 2:08:00 ).
Despite not claiming the title, Chebet was pleased with his performance.
“My target was to win but I was happy with my performance. I thank God I was able to secure position two,” Chebet said.
His objective in New York went beyond personal victory.
Chebet sought to challenge pre-race favourite and Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia to make a bold statement that he should not be overlooked.
“Everybody was talking about Tola winning the race and being the favourite. I wanted to show the world that I can beat him, which I did despite falling short of the title,” he said.
Tola had claimed last year’s edition of the New York Marathon, shattering Geoffrey Mutai’s 12-year course record of 2:05:06, when he clocked 2:04:58.
The Ethiopian further set a new Olympic record in Paris two months ago when he clocked 2:06:26 for gold, making him the first Ethiopian since Gezahegne Abera in 2000 to secure the Olympic title.
Preparing for the New York race demanded intense focus, especially on hill work, as Chebet explained. “I had trained adequately before the New York race. My main area of focus was hill work and long runs. I used to do 20km to 30km of hill work every day as part of my training,” he noted.
Yet, despite a decorated career, Chebet’s journey to stardom has been far from easy.
Born on November 10, 1988, in Kondabilet, an area known for maize production, in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Chebet was the second-last in a family of 10 (four boys and six girls).
His father, the family’s provider, passed away before he was born, leaving his mother, Margaret Wanjiru Chebet, to shoulder the weight.
“My father died just before I was born. This now meant that my mother was the sole breadwinner for the family, which was a huge burden for her to take care of all of us,” he said.
Chebet joined Kondabilet Primary School but financial struggles forced him to drop out while in Class Four to help his family, earning money by burning and selling charcoal.
“Life was really hard for us back then. I had to drop out of primary school while in Class Four. Although I was young, I knew that as a man, you have to do everything in your power to support your family. That is why I started burning charcoal to sell in order to support our mother and at least lessen her burden,” Chebet said.
It was not until 2005 that Chebet’s uncle, Isaac Koech, introduced him to running after seeing raw potential in him.
With the encouragement of his elder brother, Francis, and the inspiration of his late father, who was a runner, he began training.
“My elder brother encouraged me to start running because our father used to run. In 2005, my uncle introduced me to running, bought me my first training shoes and began training me at home,” he said.
“He is the reason I am where I am today. He believed in me and encouraged me to pursue the sport to turn our family’s fortunes around.”
Unlike most marathon runners who graduate from the track to the roads, Chebet has no history on the track. He trained solely focusing on the road races to earn money to support his family and alleviate the financial burden on his mother.
In 2006, Kenyan-Italian coach Claudio Berardelli noticed his potential and invited Chebet to train at the Rosa camp in Kaptagat, where he would hone his skills for the global stage.
“I have no experience on the track. My uncle began training me for the marathon to help me get money to support my family.
Coach Berardelli recruited me in 2006 to his camp in Kaptagat and began training me. In so many ways, he has moulded me to the man I am today,” Chebet said.
He would go on to feature in numerous cross country and half marathons locally and in the region, including the Kigali Half Marathon in 2010.
But it was not until 2011 that he made his international debut at the Gargnano 10-mile race in Italy, where he secured second place in 50:53.
The following year, he participated in the Porto Half Marathon, finishing third in 1:01:59. 2014 was his breakthrough season after he secured runners-up finishes at the Prague and Seoul marathons.
In Prague, he clocked 2:08:17 behind Patrick Terer ( 2:08:07 ) and in Seoul, he timed 2:07:46 to trail Ethiopia’s Feyisa Bekele ( 2:07:43 ).
In 2015, he secured another second-place finish in Prague, clocking 2:08:50 behind Felix Kandie ( 2:08:32 ) and just ahead of Deribe Robi ( 2:09:05 ).
The following year, Chebet made his maiden appearance at a major — in Berlin.
He clocked 2:05:31 for third place, trailing Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele ( 2:03:03 ) and Wilson Kipsang’ ( 2:03:13 ).
Reflecting on the race, Chebet revealed that after seeing the start list, he felt intimidated to take on mara thon legends like Bekele.
“When I saw the start list and saw Bekele’s name, I was afraid because I had seen on TV how great of a runner he was.”
He, however, calmed himself down and decided to stick to his game plan.
“It was my first marathon major and I was excited to compete. I knew I had to calm myself down and be confident. I had done enough training and my results from the previous year in Prague also boosted my morale. I clocked 2:05 for the first time ever and I was so glad,” he said.
In 2017, Chebet recorded a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon, clocking 2:06:42 with Kipsang’ ( 2:03:58 ), Gideon Kipketer ( 2:05:51 ) and Dickson Chumba ( 2:06:25 ) completing the podium.
Despite finishing outside the medal bracket, Chebet was pleased with his results, stating that Kipsang’ gave him motivational words after the race.
“I was pleased with my position in Tokyo. After the race, Kipsang’ came up to me and told me that runners also have bad days in the office and that should not keep me down, I should keep on fighting,” Chebet said.
Chebet followed Kipsang’s advice and went on to pick up wins at the 2019 Buenos Aires Marathon ( 2:05:00 ), the 2020 Lake Biwa ( 2:07:29 ) and Valencia ( 2:03:00 ) marathons.
In 2021, he made his second appearance at a Major — in London, where despite carrying an injury, he finished fourth in 2:05:43.
“Before going to London, I had been involved in an accident which injured my arm. However, I decided to go on and run. My results were not bad considering I ran while injured,” he said.
His crowning moments came in 2022 when he stunned the marathon world by winning both Boston ( 2:06:51 ) and New York ( 2:08:41 ).
“That year, I had done sufficient training and I wanted to make a bold statement. I thank God I was able to emerge victorious on those two occasions, which were highly competitive,” he said.
Last year, Chebet defended his Boston crown after cutting the tape in 2:05:54 in a race where two time Olympic Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge placed sixth ( 2:09:23 ).
However, despite his record, Chebet was overlooked for Kenya’s Olympic team, a snub that still weighs heavily on his shoulders.
“It was heartbreaking not to have been included in the team for the Olympics. I know if I had been there, I would have no doubt come back home with gold,” he said.
Looking forward to 2025, Chebet is driven by the desire to claim both the Boston and New York titles once again — to solidify his legacy.
“My target next season is to win both New York and Boston. It’s something I know I am capable of and I will work towards it,” he said.
Chebet, who has five children from his two wives, hopes to inspire his children to take up running.
“I hope my children will take up running in the future. My first wife Brillian Jepkorir is an athlete and features in both cross country and half marathons,” he said.
To young runners, Chebet offers words of wisdom.
“The young upcoming athletes should exercise patience in their careers and not take shortcuts. My life story is a testament to that. I did not go past primary school but the number of countries I have visited are numerous. Be prayerful also and more importantly learn to invest wisely to secure your futures,” Chebet said.
