Team Kenya-Women marathon old and new Experince to work out

After London fall Sumgong now looks at Rio Games.

New and old experience will be a key strategy for Team Kenya.

Kenya assure of podium finish at women marathon 

Visiline Jepkesho

Kenya has named her women marathon team for Rio games. The team has mix of new names and the core of marathon running in Kenya like Mary Keitany and Frorence Kiplagat even though the two are on reserve list.

Visiline Jepkesho will be leading Kenya; she scooped her biggest win in her carrier during the 40thn edition of Paris Marathon by winning in time of 2:25:52 to take home the victory. She did this in style in a field that had great stars from Ethiopia, Gulume Tollesa (2:26:14) and Dinknesh Mekasha (2:28:12).

She was the winner of Lisbon and Milan two years ago, at Paris Mararthon  she wanted to improve her PB of 2:24:53.21 but things did not go as planned and it was not possible. “Am happy I won the race even though I did not achieve what I wanted”, she said after the race. 

The second member of team Kenya will be Helah Kiprop. A runner who have being doing both half and full marathon the season of 2013 marked a career breakthrough for her as he achieved new personal bests and ran in her first major marathon race.

Kiprop began the year with a win at the Egmond Half Marathon, followed with RAK Half Marathon that saw speed and pace going to top gear with four women under 67 minute. Helah  Kiprop time of 67:39 (BP), which made her finish at position  sixth place was the fastest ever recorded for such a low position(Position 6).

Helah Kiprop

At Berlin Half Marathon, Kiprop took an early lead, and was first to finish in 67:54 minutes, reversing her placing with Ongori from the previous year. Her fast performances earned her invite to the 2013 Berlin Marathon and on her debut run she recorded a time of 2:28:02 hours for the distance, ending in fourth place in the top level competition. Her last outing that year was at the first ever Kochi Half Marathon, which she won.

 Jemima Jelagat Sumgong, is a very prolific long-distance runner. She has won the London, Rotterdam and Las Vegas Marathons, and has finished runner-up at the Boston, Chicago and New York City Marathons. She has a personal best of 2:20:48 hours for the distance.

Sumgong has a rich history which spans a very short period. In 2012, at Kenya cross country championship, she finished at position seven, but she at Boston Marathon she came second behind Sharon Cherop in a sprint of the finale home meters. 2013, Sumgomg was better as she clichéd the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:23:27 bettering her previous mark with six seconds.

Jemimah Sumgong and Florence Kiplagat

At Boston Marathon of 2014, Sumgong finished fourth in her ever fastest time of 2:20:41, later she finished second at New York Marathon losing a hard battle to her country lady, Mary Keitany.

Her recent win was on the 24th April 2016 when she won the London Marathon with the time of 2:22:58. The event was notable as she fell during the run, but still managed to finish ahead of the rest of the field. 

Mary Keitany and Florence Kiplagat who are as reserve members of team Kenya have rich experience which might upset the entire field. This are runners who share loads of wins among them and this been an Olympic, anything is possible.

In women marathon, one of the medals will be won by Kenya, the question is, which between gold and silver.