Former Youth Olympic Games 3,000m champion Gladys Chesir is taking a break from running until next year.
Chesir said she wants to take a holiday and relax following a tough season on the roads.
She finished second at the Xiamen Marathon and third at the Sydney Marathon and feels she needs to recharge after what she said has been a successful season.
She said her focus for next year will be to compete in the World Marathon Majors which will feature Tokyo, London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York marathons.
“I really wanted to finish on the podium in the races that I had planned for this year. All that came to be," said the former All Africa Games 10,000m silver medalist.
"I now want to go on holiday and reflect on the hits and misses."
On September 17, the Iten-based runner clocked 2:28:39 to finish third at the Sydney Marathon behind the winner, Kenyan-born American Betsy Saina (2:26:46) and Rahma Tusa of Ethiopia (2:28:39).
At the Xiamen Marathon, she was second behind Ethiopian Meseret Abebayehu Alemu when they clocked 2:25.51 and 2:24:42 respectively. Another Ethiopian, Guteni Shone, finished third in 2:25:58.
“I have closed my season but I hope to improve next year. I wonder where I will go for holiday but it will definitely be a great thing to do so,” she said.
“I have always wanted to compete in the majors but I have always faced setbacks. However, I want to make some amends and return to the top league. I made my debut in Boston way back in 2018 but bad weather affected the majority of us, dropping out unceremoniously.”
Chesir has competed in marathons, half marathons, 10km and cross country races across the country and around the world.
She has a personal best of 2:24:51 in the marathon, set while finishing second at the 2017 Amsterdam Marathon.
She also won silver in the 10,000m during the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, behind compatriot Alice Aprot.
