New York City Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei is a disappointed athlete following the postponement of the 2020 London and New York City marathons.
The two World Marathon Majors races were set for this month and November respectively but have been shelved due to the coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage the world.
Speaking in her home in Iten, Elgeyo Maratkwet County the world half marathon record holder said it was painful to miss the two events that she had so well prepared for.
“Just like any other sportsperson, I felt bad following the cancellations since I had prepared well for these races. However, I had to accept the decisions since they were taken in good faith,” she said.
To erase these disappointments, the former Africa 10,000m bronze medalist revealed she has taken time to bond with her family and look after her farm where she cultivates potatoes and rears dairy cattle.
“Right now, I have taken time to learn much on the farm, planting potatoes and taking care of the dairy cows on our small family land,” said Jepkosgei.
In addition, Jepkosgei, the 2017 Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) half marathon bronze medalist, is doing light training which will ensure that she doesn't struggle much once action resumes.
“I just take light morning training of 5km to 10km to ensure that I remain fit. It will be difficult once the world opens up for championships but I don't want to fail this test," said Jepkosgei.
However, she says the postponement of the races was a good thing since going ahead with competitions involving large numbers of people would have made it risky for everyone involved.