A growing number of athletes have made a leap from middle- and long-distance track events to marathon running, and the results have been stunning. Stars like Sifan Hassan and Hellen Obiri have shown the world that one doesn’t need to be a lifelong marathoner to dominate the roads. And now, their exploits have even caught the attention of 1,500m world champion Faith Kipyegon, who is now contemplating a move into distance running.

In September, the athlete secured her fourth straight World Championship gold in the women’s 1,500m, blazing to a dominant 3:52.15 ahead of Dorcus Ewoi and Australia’s Jessica Hull. Just days later, she showcased her versatility by seizing silver in the 5,000m. Then, in October, Kipyegon stood atop the podium at Athlos NYC, by winning the mile in 4:17.78, the fastest women’s mile ever recorded on U.S. soil. With her triumph at Athlos, she also pocketed $60,000, and received a custom Tiffany crown.

Now, after ending her season with back-to-back medals, Kipyegon has confirmed her interest in transitioning from her signature 1,500m to the longer 5,000m and 10,000m events, with road races also on the horizon. At 31, she admits she’s fueled by the trailblazing feats of her former track rivals who have conquered the marathon scene. “I feel so motivated to see the athletes I have competed with running in the marathon, and they are running very good. Looking at people like Sifan and Obiri, they were running 1,500m,” said the athlete.

Kipyegon’s career has been marked by epic duels with Obiri and Hassan. Back in Moscow 2013, Obiri took bronze clocking 4:03.86, Kipyegon fifth at 4:05.08. In the very next year, they teamed up with Cherono and Jelagat at the Bahamas World Relays to smash the 4×1,500m world record, clocking an amazing 16:33.58. Kipyegon edged Hassan at Rio 2016 Olympics with 4:08.92 (Hassan 4:11.23). At Tokyo 2021 Olympics, she dominated in 3:53.11, and then at the Worlds in Budapest 2023, she struck gold in 3:54.87, leaving Hassan with bronze.

While Kipyegon continues her dominance on the track, Hassan has moved on to conquer the roads – a shift that has become a major source of inspiration for the Kenyan to consider marathons. “They really motivate me a lot. I have that urge that maybe one day, one time, I will also run a Marathon in a beautiful way like them. When I see them crossing that finish line in the marathon, I just wish I could get there one day, one time,” she admits, eyes set on the long-distance horizon.”

Interestingly, Kipyegon is quite eager to witness what the roads have to offer, considering the fact that she has asserted her victorious performances on track now, “But when my time comes, I will join them in the marathon and see what the road will offer, like the track.”

As she looks forward to try distance running, she also raised her concerns regarding the athletic conditions back home.

Faith Kipyegon wants a major change in girls’ Track & Field

During a media session in NYC with Faith Kipyegon, Georgia Hunter-Bell, and Keely Hodgkinson, a Jamaican reporter raised a compelling point. He highlighted that both Jamaica and Kenya are brimming with talent but often lack access to world-class training facilities.

Faith acknowledged the challenge, saying, “Oh, yeah. It’s really difficult, but we normally try to use what is possible and just make use of it. Because in Africa, we don’t have, you know, the best facilities to train, like tracks and everything. When I was preparing for SAFOR, I was just using my ramp track to prepare for that breaking point.” She went on to emphasize the need for support, adding, “So it was really tough. But I normally ask our government to do, you know, something about the facilities—especially training tracks and stadiums. Because, you know, we are also bidding for the 2029 World Championship in Kenya, and that will be tough if we don’t have good facilities. So we hope they will make some corrections, and we will have a good European.” 

Despite the challenges, the athlete continues to secure medals for her country. What are your thoughts on Kipyegon’s transition to marathons? Share your opinion in the comments below.

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