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Tag: Brigid Kosgei

Brigid Kosgei joins Eliud Kipchoge in marketing Kenya

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/elvince-joshua-sports-africa/" rel="tag">ELVINCE JOSHUA - SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Brigid Kosgei joins Eliud Kipchoge in marketing Kenya

The reigning London Marathon champion Brigid Kosgei will join world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge in marketing Kenya as an ideal tourism destination. 

The Kenyan government is tapping into one of her biggest exports, athletics, to promote the country’s tourism sector.

Kenyan athletes have continued to positively profile the country with their sterling performances in international competitions.

Already, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has a deal with Kipchoge as the Magical Kenya’s brand ambassador.

This is part of the country’s commitment to leverage on athletes to sell the country to foreigners keen on touring the East African nation whose economy is driven by tourism and agriculture.

Kipchoge was in Masai Mara National Reserve last August to watch the famous wildebeest migration — the weight wonder of the world. The key mission was to inspire the world to visit Kenya through effective strategic marketing of Kenya’s tourism products.

And now the women’s world marathon record holder, Kosgei, and her colleague Ruth Chepngetich who finished third at the 2020 London Marathon have been accorded a five-day travel top top tourism attractions sites in Laikipia, Samburu and Lamu.

“As the body mandated with the task of marketing Kenya’s tourism products and experiences, we recognize the huge profile that our athletic stars occupy on the world stage. We believe that it is time to involve our athletes in making a pitch for the country as the best destination for investments and tourism,” KTB CEO Betty Radier said.

“The KTB is working on a long term collaboration with athletes to position Kenya on top of mind among visitors and investors into the country.

“Even at these times of less travel globally as a result of covid-19 pandemic, Kenya continues to be top of mind among travellers and investors alike because of our athletes who excel in international competitions,” said Radier.

“This year has been really difficult for the sporting industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many local and international events had to be cancelled, which deprived many athletes of revenue.

The annual London Marathon is part of theWorld Marathon Majors that have over the years played a key role in profiling Kenya as the home of champions.

Kenyan marathoners have dominated the competition over the past decade with Kipchoge winning on four occasions including the 2018 and 2019.

Posted in AthleticsTagged Brigid Kosgei, Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya Tourism Board

Brigid Kosgei wins second London Marathon title

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/elvince-joshua-sports-africa/" rel="tag">ELVINCE JOSHUA - SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Brigid Kosgei wins second London Marathon title

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei waded through bad weather to successfully defend her London Marathon title after cutting the tape in 2hrs 18mins 58secs in the women’s race.

This was the second win for the Kenyan in London after last year’s triumph, adding to the 2018 and 2019 Chicago marathon victories.

American Sarah Hall, however, ‘spoiled’ what would have been an all-African podium finish when she beat Kenyan Ruth Jepng’etich and Ethiopian Ashete Bike for second place.

Hall charged forward with two kilometers before storming past the Ethiopian after a difficult start.

Her pace and persistence even paid more dividends when she chased down Chepng’etich before rushed past her with just meters to go to finish second.

This performance means that Hall is the first American, after Deena Kastor, to finish on the podium of the London Marathon since 2006. 

The last time a non-African runner finished on the podium in the women’s race was seven years ago, when Japan’s Yukiko Akaba finished third in 2013.

Kosgei, who shattered the world record at the Chicago Marathon last year  (2:14:04), was so strong that she passed the 35km mark in 1hr 55mins 00 seconds. 

That time, though, meant that she was already out of the world record mark with conditions and race set up, 19 loops around the central park, all working against her.

Apart from the wet course following a heavy downpour and lack of spectators, athletes were also forced to run in a clockwise direction, a deviation from the usual road race. 

This was more of an extended track race rather than a road race, but the job had to be done.

Posted in AthleticsTagged Brigid Kosgei, London Marathon, Virgin Money London Marathon

World marathon record holder Kosgei to take on Hassan in Brussels

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/xinhua/" rel="tag">XINHUA</a>
World marathon record holder Kosgei to take on Hassan in Brussels

NAIROBI, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — Kenyan world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei is set for her track debut as she takes on Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan in an hour event at the AG Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting on Sept. 4.

The 26-year-old Kosgei, who ran incredible 2:14:04 on her way to breaking the marathon record in Chicago last year, will use the event as part of her preparations for a London Marathon title defense on Oct. 4.

Prior to breaking Paula Radcliffe’s 17-year-old world record in Chicago, Kosgei, who trains in Kapsait under guidance of Eric Kimaiyo, had clocked 64:28 in the half-marathon to break the Great North Run course record, but her time was not considered a world record because the course was not certified by Word Athletics.

Both Kosgei and Hassan, the world 1,500m and 10,000m champion will attempt to break Dire Tune’s 2008 mark of 18.517km in Belgium’s capital.

“It’s a great opportunity for Brigit to run in Brussels, though she doesn’t have good track experience, I’m sure she will give a good account of herself against Hassan who has announced a world record attempt,” Kimaiyo, a 2:07:43 performer himself and runner-up at the 1997 Berlin Marathon, told Xinhua on Friday.

“She likes challenges and considering she is preparing for the London Marathon in October, the event gives her a chance to gauge her preparedness,” Kimaiyo added.

Posted in AthleticsTagged AG Memorial Van Damme Diamond League, Brigid Kosgei, Sifan Hassan

Coronavirus scare: Champs Eliud Kipchoge, Brigid Kosgei to ‘miss’ London Marathon

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/keith-magara-sports-africa/" rel="tag">KEITH MAGARA -SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Coronavirus scare: Champs Eliud Kipchoge, Brigid Kosgei to ‘miss’ London Marathon

Fans might not watch Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei defend their London Marathon titles.

The Virgin Money race is set for April 26, but the defending champions might not line up on the streets of British capital should the global health situation not improve in the next couple of weeks.

The duo, who are part of the Kenyan marathon team for the 2020 Summer Olympics, are among the hundreds of the Kenyan athletes who have been affected by the ban on international travels being enforced by the Kenyan government owing to coronavirus.

Kenya has since suspended her sports persons from leaving the country as part of the precautionary measure to thwart any possible outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

As a result, the Athletics Kenya (AK) suspended clearing athletes to take part in any international event until further notice.

“Following the directive from the government and due the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Athletics Kenya has suspended all clearances and travel to international events for athletes and athlete support until further notice,” AK said in a statement.

The statement adds: “In a bid to safeguard the athletes and consequently the country from the virus, we urge all athletes to cancel travel arrangements for the next one month pending further communication.”

The virus has so far claimed over 3,000 lives globally and disrupted many sports events.

Should the situation deteriorate, even the organisers of the London Marathon will have to cancel the event altogether as reported by The Telegraph.

Some of the events that have since been called off include the European Tour Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship as well as the Under 20 Barthe’s Trophy (rugby) that were to be held in Kenya.

Globally, the status of the Olympic is still uncertain though preparations are ongoing amidst calls to postpone the event of call it off altogether.

The Six Nations, the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, the Italian Serie A games have been called off while La Liga matches will be played behind closed doors.

In England, the match between Arsenal and Manchester City was called off due to Covid-19 fear.

The Paris Marathon that was set to take place on April 5 has since been pushed back to October 18; the World Indoor Championship that was set to be held in Nanjing, China was called off same World Athletics Half Marathon Championship was also put on hold until October.

Posted in AthleticsTagged Athletics Kenya, Brigid Kosgei, coronavirus, Eliud Kipchoge, London Marathon

Kenya names ‘scary’ marathon squad for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/elvince-joshua-sports-africa/" rel="tag">ELVINCE JOSHUA - SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Kenya names ‘scary’ marathon squad for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Eliud Kipchoge will defend his Olympic marathon title as Kenya unveiled a ‘scary’ marathon squad ahead of the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan.

The world marathon record holder is among the athletes named in the strong Team Kenya Olympics marathon squad that includes the women’s world record holder Brigid Kosgei.

The surprise, though, is the exclusion of world half marathon record holder Geoffrey Kamworor as Athletics Kenya (AK) settles for Lawrence Cherono and Amos Kipruto with Titus Ekiru and Bedan Karoki as reserves.

Sally Chepyego and Valery Ayabei have been named in the women’s reserve team that also has Ruth Chepng’etich, Vivian Cheruiyot alongside Kosgei, the reigning Chicago and London marathon champion.

However, before Kipchoge heads to  the Summer Games, the fastest man over the distance will have to test his mettle at the London marathon in April where he has promised the world “something special”.

The Kenyan became the first human to complete a full marathon in under two hours during the INEOS Challenge where he clicked 2 hours, 59 minutes and 40 seconds.

In the women’s category, Kenyan team will be anchored by Kosgei who last November lowered Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old record by 1 minute 24 seconds at the Chicago Marathon and 3 minutes and 14 seconds off the previous race record.

She will be supported by the indefatigable Cheruiyot, the multiple world champion and reigning world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich who beat the unforgiving weather of Doha Qatar to win Kenya Gold at the last World event.

Full list of Kenyan Marathon team to the Olympics

Men squad

Eliud Kipchoge, Lawrence Cherono, Amos Kipruto.

Reserve: Titus Ekiru, Bedan Karoki

Women squad

Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepng’etich, Vivian Cheruiyot.

Reserve: Valery Ayabei, Sally Chepyego

Posted in AthleticsTagged 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Athletics, Brigid Kosgei, Eliud Kipchoge, Featured, Olympics marathon

Bodybuilder Evelyn Owala faces top track stars in race for Soya women’s prize

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/sharon-adhis-sports-africa/" rel="tag">SHARON ADHIS - SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Bodybuilder Evelyn Owala faces top track stars in race for Soya women’s prize

For the first time in the history of Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA), a bodybuilder will be competing shoulders against world-beating long and middle-distance runners for the coveted prize.

Bodybuilder Evelyn Okinyi Owala has her fingers crossed after making the shortlist of five in the Sportswoman of the Year category along with 5000m speedster Helen Obiri, marathoners Ruth Chepng’etich and Brigid Kosgei as well as 3000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech.

Owala entered her name in the annals of sports history by emerging the 2019 African champion in the Wellness division as well as the Arnold Classic, winning both titles during the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) championships held in Angola and South Africa respectively.

Owala, who was competing as an amateur, also finished third in the 2019 IFBB World Cup amateur competition over and above finishing 10th at the Arnold Classic event in Europe.

She is one of the top exponents in her category worldwide to qualify for the elite pro-league where she will compete this year, thus becoming the first Kenyan female to do so and the third in Africa.

However, it will not be a walk in the park for Owala taking into consideration the indefatigable world-beating women athletes.

One of them is no doubt the 25-year-old Chepng’etich who incidentally opened Kenya’s medal account at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha as she raced to gold in extremely punishing Middle East conditions which saw many runners drop out of the race.

Chepng’etich headed to the world championships with a world-leading time, something that stood until Brigid Kosgei broke the world record at the Chicago Marathon in October.

Before Brigid broke the world record, Chepngetich’s time of 2:17:08 which she clocked while winning the Dubai Marathon in January was the third all-time best behind Paula Radcliffe and Mary Keitany.

Apart from winning the Dubai Marathon, she also won the Bogota Half Marathon in Colombia in July and Seiryu Half marathon in Japan in April.

On her part, Brigid, 25, started the year in style as she raced to victory at the London Marathon, beating a strong field that included Olympic champion, Vivian Cheruiyot.

In Chicago, which was the epitome of her running this season, she obliterated the women’s world record that stood for 16 years, clocking 2:14:04 to shave off legendary Paula Radcliffe’s record by 1 minute 24 seconds as she defended the Chicago Marathon.

For Helen Obiri, she was in devastating form having replicated the performance that she displayed in 2018.

Obiri started the season with a bang, winning the elusive World Cross Country title in Aarhus, Denmark and also helped Kenya to bag silver in the team competition.

The 2016 Olympic silver medalist closed the season with a gold medal after retaining her 5000m at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, setting a new championship record time of 14:26.72 to lead compatriot Margaret Chelimo to the podium dash.

Also in the contention is Chepkoech, 29, who on top of winning her first-ever world title in Doha, she reigned supreme on the Diamond League front, clinching the overall title.

The winner of this category will be known during the 2019 SOYA Awards slated for January 24 in Mombasa.

Posted in Sport ExtraTagged Brigid Kosgei, Evelyn Okinyi Owala, Featured, Ruth Chepngetich, Soya Awards

New world record holder Brigid Kosgei leads strong list of nominees for IAAF awards

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/keith-magara-sports-africa/" rel="tag">KEITH MAGARA -SPORTS AFRICA</a>
New world record holder Brigid Kosgei leads strong list of nominees for IAAF awards

The reigning world women’s marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei is among the three Africans named on the 11-women’s list for the 2019 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Awards set to be held in Monaco on November 23.

Kosgei posted a new time at the Chicago Marathon last Sunday, to end 16-year record that was held by British Paula Radcliffe when she reset the click at 2:14:04.

Kosgei, the reigning London Marathon title holder, also boasts of a world-leading time of 1:05:28 for the half marathon and 1:04:28 on a downhill course.

But she will face stiff competition from, among others, fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech, who won the world championships in 3000m steeplechase in a championship record of 8:57.84.

Chepkoech also won the Diamond League title as well as seven of her eight steeplechase races.

World cross-country and 5000m world champion Hellen Obiri, who also ran a world-leading time of 14:20.36 for 5000m in London, is another African who made it the list that also has Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as well as Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.

The nominations of 11 athletes reflects the remarkable range of exceptional performances that the sport has witnessed this year at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, and in the Diamond League and in road and cross country events.

The IAAF’s Competition Performance Ranking show that the World Championships in Doha was the highest quality competition in the history of the event.

A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.

The IAAF Council and the IAAF Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the IAAF’s social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week; a ‘like’ on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.

The IAAF Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result, while the IAAF Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.

Voting for the Female World Athlete of the Year closes on 5 November. At the conclusion of the voting process, five men and five women finalists will be announced by the IAAF.

The male and female World Athletes of the Year will be announced live on stage at the World Athletics Awards 2019.

The nominees for 2019 Female World Athlete of the Year in alphabetical order:

Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN)
– won world 3000m steeplechase title in a championship record of 8:57.84
– won Diamond League title
– won seven of her eight steeplechase races

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM)
– won world 100m and 4x100m titles in world-leading times of 10.71 and 41.44
– won Pan-American 200m title
– won seven of her 10 races at 100m

Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR)
– won world heptathlon title in a world-leading 6981
– undefeated in all combined events competitions, indoors and outdoors
– won European indoor pentathlon title with a world-leading 4983

Sifan Hassan (NED)
– won world 1500m and 10,000m titles in world-leading times of 3:51.95 and 30:17.62
– won Diamond League 1500m and 5000m titles
– broke world mile record with 4:12.33 in Monaco

Brigid Kosgei (KEN)
– set a world record of 2:14:04 to win the Chicago Marathon
– won the London Marathon
– ran a world-leading 1:05:28 for the half marathon and 1:04:28 on a downhill course

Mariya Lasitskene (ANA)
– won world high jump title with 2.04m
– jumped a world-leading 2.06m in Ostrava
– won 21 of her 23 competitions, indoors and outdoors

Malaika Mihambo (GER)
– won world long jump title with a world-leading 7.30m
– won Diamond League title
– undefeated outdoors

Dalilah Muhammad (USA)
– broke world record with 52.20 at the US Championships
– improved her own world record to win the world 400m hurdles title in 52.16
– won world 4x400m title

Salwa Eid Naser (BRN)
– won world 400m title in 48.14, the third-fastest time in history
– won Diamond League title and three gold medals at the Asian Championships
– undefeated at 400m outdoors

Hellen Obiri (KEN)
– won world cross-country title in Aarhus
– won world 5000m title in a championship record of 14:26.72
– ran a world-leading 14:20.36 for 5000m in London

Yulimar Rojas (VEN)
– won world triple jump title with 15.37m
– jumped world-leading 15.41m to move to second on the world all-time list
– won nine of her 12 competitions, including the Pan-American Games

Posted in AthleticsTagged 2019 World Athlete of the Year Awards, Athletics, Brigid Kosgei, Eliud Kipchoge, Featured, IAAF, Male World Athlete of the Year 2019

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei breaks 16-year-old world marathon record

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/keith-magara-sports-africa/" rel="tag">KEITH MAGARA -SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei breaks 16-year-old world marathon record

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei shattered a 16-year-old world record in the women’s marathon by 81 seconds, after a dominant run at the Chicago Marathon, where she posted 2:14:04 on Sunday.

This performance, came just a day after another Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to have completed 42km in under two hours on Saturday in Vienna, Austria.

Kenya now holds all the four records in both men and women’s in full and half marathons.

Kosgei lowered the 2:15:25 time of British Paula Radcliffe who had held the record since 2003 posted at the London Marathon.

And just like Radcliffe, Kosgei needed the push from men to lower the world’s time.

Compatriot Mary Keitany holds the female-only record of 2:17:01 from the 2017 London Marathon.

Kosgei, 25 won the Virgin London Marathon where her compatriot Kipchoge shuttered the men’s world record.

Having watched Kipchoge beat the two hour barrier on Saturday, Kosgei went to the race as a favourite to retain the title she won in 2018 when she turned up with the fastest half-marathon ever by a woman (by 23 seconds) on September 8 on a non-record-eligible course.

Kenya also won the men’s race after Lawrence Cherono beat Ethiopian Dejene Debela by a second after stopping the clock in 2:05:45.

British Mo Farah, who was the defending champion finished eighth in 2:09:58 even as he grappled with a bad PR after his former coach Alberto Salazar was banned in the US.

Another of former Salazar’s coached athlete Jordan Hasay, the top US woman in the field, crossed 5km at a slow 22:20 and registered no further timings.

The last of the World Major Marathon season will conclude with the New York City Marathon on November 3, where defending champions Mary Keitany and Lelisa Desisa and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden will face off.

Posted in AthleticsTagged Brigid Kosgei, Chicago Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge, Featured, Paula Radcliffe

Top Kenya runners decline World Championship invite as AK names marathon squad

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/keith-magara-sports-africa/" rel="tag">KEITH MAGARA -SPORTS AFRICA</a>
Top Kenya runners decline World Championship invite as AK names marathon squad

London Marathon champions Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei will both be out of team Kenya as Athletics Kenya (AK) name the World Championship Marathon squad.

Kipchoge, the world record holder will not be taking part in the September Championship slated for Doha, Qatar to concentrate his energy on the October’s money race, Berlin’s Break 2 where he is targeting to become the first human being on earth to run a 42 km in under two hours. In 2017, he missed the feat by a few seconds.

Also missing from the squad released by AK on Monday is Kosgei who won the London Marathon women’s title before 2018 champion Vivian Cheruiyot. She has ruled herself out of the World Championship.

World defending champion Geoffrey Kirui and two times champion Edna Kiplagat will lead Team Kenya marathoner squad in Doha. The championship will run from September 28 to October 6.

Berlin Marathon champion Gladys Cherono was also omitted from the squad that is expected to pitch camp in Kaptagat from July. The team will be under coaches Joseph Cheromei and Richard Kimetto.

AK revealed that they settled on the names based on availability and not the form after many top stars declined the invite.

Posted in AthleticsTagged Athletics Kenya, Break 2, Brigid Kosgei, Eliud Kipchoge, Featured, World ChampionshipLeave a Comment on Top Kenya runners decline World Championship invite as AK names marathon squad

2019 LONDON MARATHON REVIEW: Brigid Kosgei demolishes all-star women’s field to win in 2:18:20

Posted on by <a href="https://www.sportsnews.africa/byline/larry-korir-sports-africa/" rel="tag">LARRY KORIR - SPORTS AFRICA</a>
2019 LONDON MARATHON REVIEW: Brigid Kosgei demolishes all-star women’s field to win in 2:18:20

Brigid Kosgei demonstrated an amazing sense of timing to utterly and completely demolish the women’s field at the 2019 Virgin Money Women’s London Marathon on Sunday to cut the tape in an amazingly quick 2:18:20, with Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2018 London Marathon champion, coming in second at 2:20:14.

Rosa Dereje came in third to spoil the Kenyan party, beating Gladys Cherono and Mary Keitany to fourth and fifth respectively.

Billed as the most competitive roster ever assembled in London Women Marathon history, the start list read like a who’s who in road running.

Brigid Kosgei, who has now finished in the top two in eight of the nine marathons she has participated in, appeared the underdog at the start, with the runaway favourite being Mary Keitany, the 2018 New York City Marathon champion and the woman with the fastest time in the world outside Paula Radcliffe’s World Record with a time of 2:17:01 as her personal best.

Gladys Cherono, the three-time Berlin Marathon champ capped off a stellar cast of Kenyan athletes the likes of which have never before assembled at once at the start of any marathon.

With the weather near perfect, the race kicked off and immediately petered to an astonishingly slow pace with the star athletes evidently in awe of each other and waiting on each other to make the first move.

And so, for the first half hour Keitany, Kosgei, Cheruiyot and Cherono were content to run behind the lead group of athletes with Dibaba and Deroji falling in behind the lead pacesetter Eunice Chuma.

With the pace seemingly underwhelming, it took the guts of the incredibly brave 42-year-old Sinead Diver to take the race by the scruff of the neck and build a five-yard lead with 39:33mins lapsed, and stretching the lead such that by 1:08:43 into the race she had built a 30-second gap over the rest of the athletes with Keitany, Kosgey, Cheruiyot, Cherono and Deroji not even attempting to reel in the runaway frontrunner.

However, at 1:18:52, Vivian Cheruiyot had waited enough and finally started to chase the lead group catching up and overtaking Sinead Diver but sticking behind the lead lone pacesetter Eunice Chuma, who until now was doing a stellar job in pace making.

At 1:25:38 it’s Vivian Cheruiyot, Bridgid Kosgei, Deroji and Mary Keitany in that order behind the pacemaker Eunice Chuma.

However, the first signs of fallibility begin to emerge at 1:32:33, with 9.3 miles left to go, when Mary Keitany and Gladys Cherono are unable to keep up with the pace and fall back with Cheruiyot, Deroje and Brigid Kosgey opening an unassailable lead.

Brigid Kosgei, who recently ran the Houston Half Marathon in 65:15 and the Bahrain marathon in 65:20, seemingly feels confident enough to try and bludgeon Vivian Cheruiyot with fast times, with Deroje hanging on afraid to let go. However Vivian Cheruiyot is having none of it, and tucks in behind Brigid, matching her stride for stride.

Two minutes later, evidence of Brigid’s punishing pace begin to show as Deroje is finally broken and falls back with the lead steadily increasing such that by the time its 1:35:00, Deroje is well and truly out of contention and has to watch her back as Gladys Cherono and Mary Keitany find her in their crosshairs.

Up front, Brigid Kosgei is relentless, once again pushing the pace further, asking questions of the defending champ until slowly but surely a gap begins to emerge, increase steadily from five yards to 10 yards, until seemingly for the first time in the entire race, Vivian Cheruiyot no longer seems infallible. Its 1:37:35 on the clock.

At 1:39:45, Brigid Kosgei crosses 30Km with projections showing she is inside 2:20.

Thereafter, Brigid delivers an additional injection of pace, opening a reasonable gap on Vivian by 1:42:02, but the champion decides she’s not done just yet and pulls back such that five minutes later, Vivian has closed the gap and is right behind Brigid matching her stride for stride, in what is evidently developing into an examination of mental attrition.

With 6.2 miles to go and 1:50:00 having lapsed, Brigid is still in the lead unable to shake off Vivian, and it begins to seem probable that this will be decided eventually by a sprint finish.

With exactly two hours lapsed it becomes evident that Vivian’s fitness isn’t up to scratch, as the 25-year-old Brigid finally manages to break her compatriot, quickly opening a 25-metre lead in less than three minutes to herself as the likely winner.

By the time 2:04:00 has lapsed, Brigid looking over her shoulder can no longer see Vivian, having developed a significant gap, having evidently delivered the sucker punch.

Meanwhile, it’s a duel for third between Keitany, Cherono and Deroji.

With 10 minutes to go, the race is now Brigid Kosgei’s to lose. Further back, Vivian is no longer in contention but in a fight for second as Keitany, Cherono and Deroji are joint for third.

Brigid is on the verge of the biggest win of her career and is still relentless on the pace. Last year she was second in London, and this will be an upgrade coupled with a sweet feeling of revenge over Vivian, who beat her here last year.

Coming up on Paula Radcliffe’s insurmountable world record with 2:15:02 having lapsed, Brigid is on course to better her time in Chicago having built an unassailable lead.

And finally, after a painful 26.2 miles, Brigid comes across the line to win and better her personal best in a time of 2:18:20!

Vivian comes in second in 2:20:14 while Deroja is third at 2:20:50. Gladys Cherono comes in fourth with Mary Keitany coming in fifth.

2019 LONDON MARATHON WOMEN’S RESULTS

  1. BRIGID KOSGEI             2:18:20
  2. CHERUIYOT VIVIAN 2:20:14
  3. DEREJE ROZA 2:20:51
  4. CHERONO GLADYS 2:20:52
  5. KEITANY MARY 2:20:58
  6. SISSON MARY 2:23:08
  7. DIVER SINEAD 2:24:11
  8. ROCHA CARLA 2:24:47
  9. DIBABA BERHANE 2:25:04
  10. PURDUE CHARLOTTE 2:25:38
  11. LINET MASAI 2:26:06
Posted in AthleticsTagged Athletics, Brigid Kosgei, Featured, Virgin Money London Marathon, Vivian CheruiyotLeave a Comment on 2019 LONDON MARATHON REVIEW: Brigid Kosgei demolishes all-star women’s field to win in 2:18:20

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