NAIROBI, Kenya, April 14 – Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplangat says she is fired up for Monday’s Boston Marathon after she was crowned winner of the 125th edition of the World Marathon Majors race on Thursday.
The 43-year-old timed 2:25:09 to finish second behind fellow countrywoman, Diana Kipyokei who was in December last year slapped with a six-year ban for doping and subsequently stripped of her title.
The 2014 London Marathon champion said she is optimistic of a three-peat on Monday when she lines up at the start line with her younger competitors in the women’s race.
“I hope everything goes well and I am hoping for the best,” Kiplangat said soon after her coronation in Boston.
Yesterday’s feat effectively puts Kiplangat in history books of the road races as the oldest female runner to ever clinch a major marathon on Boston’s stature.
She also won the race in 2017 when she clocked 2:21:52 to beat the tape.
Kiplangat expressed her relief at receiving justice and applauded ongoing efforts by the sports bodies to weed out doping and enhance fairness in the game.
“I was so happy when I finished second in 2021 and even happier now. I am so happy that there is now a lot of efforts to ensure fairness and justice in athletics,” the 2010 New York Marathon champion said.
Speaking at the same time, the president and CEO of the Boston Athletics Association, Jack Fleming, said they will continue to apply rigorous measures to ensure integrity in the results of the race.
“There is a big pool of athletes who are in that testing pool. So, there is a lot of process involved,” Fleming said.
Monday’s race will be the 127th edition of the competition, which brings together approximately 30,000 athletes from over 100 countries worldwide.
