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IAAF
Few athletes in global athletics can quite boast the combination of sheer success and zest for living like Faith Kipyegon.
With her naturally vivacious personality coupled with her outstanding competitive record, the world and Olympic 1500m champion appears to have it made.
And after giving birth to her first child, daughter Alyn, in June last year, Kipyegon’s personal life appears as on track as her professional world. Yet after 21 months away from the competitive arena, the 25-year-old has been forced to press the reset button on her career as she starts the build-up to the defence of her 1500m title at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
In Keringet she trained solely with a pacemaker, but for her twice-weekly track sessions in Eldoret she can train alongside world-class athletes such as 2015 world steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng and Commonwealth 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal.
Meanwhile, on her easy runs she can hook up with the powerhouse training group of Kipchoge, the 2018 IAAF Male Athlete of the Year, and Kamworor. “It is a big motivation to run with them,” she says. “I enjoy running with the whole group and one day I look forward to becoming a marathon runner, just like them.”
Training alongside the Kaptagat-based group, Kipyegon does not yet, however, live out of the camp, preferring to return each night to her home in Eldoret to look after her young child, who last month celebrated her first birthday.
Making her long-awaited return with a stunning 1500m victory in 3:59.04 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stanford last month, Kipyegon was elated with the performance.
“After being out for such a long time, you don’t exactly know where you are at, so it was great to test myself at the Prefontaine meeting,” says Kipyegon, whose next race will be at this weekend’s IAAF Diamond League meeting in London.
“I’m looking forward to Doha and given the late timing of the World Championships this year (following my return from pregnancy), it is like a gift from God.”
Following Doha, her major goal in 2020 is to target the Tokyo Olympics, where she hopes to become only the second woman in history to claim back-to-back Olympic 1500m titles before a potential move in distance up to the 5000m.
Yet given her near flawless championship record, which has seen her snare world U18, U20 and senior 1500m titles as well as Olympic and Commonwealth crowns, what is her secret?
“I am always confident I can win. I always listen to my coach and follow his plan.”
So what are Kipyegon’s best qualities: strength, endurance, tactical ability, mental strength? “I think I’m good at all of them,” she adds with her trademark laugh.
And with such an exemplary championship record, few can dispute her claims.
Suffering only three defeats in 14 finals between 2016 and 2017, the diminutive Kenyan was unquestionably the world’s leading woman at 1500m during those two seasons. However, after climaxing her 2017 season, Kipyegon made the firm decision she wanted to start a family with her husband, Timothy Kitum, the 2012 Olympic 800m bronze medallist.
Few athletes in global athletics can quite boast the combination of sheer success and zest for living like Faith Kipyegon.
With her naturally vivacious personality coupled with her outstanding competitive record, the world and Olympic 1500m champion appears to have it made.
And after giving birth to her first child, daughter Alyn, in June last year, Kipyegon’s personal life appears as on track as her professional world. Yet after 21 months away from the competitive arena, the 25-year-old has been forced to press the reset button on her career as she starts the build-up to the defence of her 1500m title at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
In Keringet she trained solely with a pacemaker, but for her twice-weekly track sessions in Eldoret she can train alongside world-class athletes such as 2015 world steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng and Commonwealth 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal.
Meanwhile, on her easy runs she can hook up with the powerhouse training group of Kipchoge, the 2018 IAAF Male Athlete of the Year, and Kamworor. “It is a big motivation to run with them,” she says. “I enjoy running with the whole group and one day I look forward to becoming a marathon runner, just like them.”
Training alongside the Kaptagat-based group, Kipyegon does not yet, however, live out of the camp, preferring to return each night to her home in Eldoret to look after her young child, who last month celebrated her first birthday.
Making her long-awaited return with a stunning 1500m victory in 3:59.04 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stanford last month, Kipyegon was elated with the performance.
“After being out for such a long time, you don’t exactly know where you are at, so it was great to test myself at the Prefontaine meeting,” says Kipyegon, whose next race will be at this weekend’s IAAF Diamond League meeting in London.
“I’m looking forward to Doha and given the late timing of the World Championships this year (following my return from pregnancy), it is like a gift from God.”
Following Doha, her major goal in 2020 is to target the Tokyo Olympics, where she hopes to become only the second woman in history to claim back-to-back Olympic 1500m titles before a potential move in distance up to the 5000m.
Yet given her near flawless championship record, which has seen her snare world U18, U20 and senior 1500m titles as well as Olympic and Commonwealth crowns, what is her secret?
“I am always confident I can win. I always listen to my coach and follow his plan.”
So what are Kipyegon’s best qualities: strength, endurance, tactical ability, mental strength? “I think I’m good at all of them,” she adds with her trademark laugh.
And with such an exemplary championship record, few can dispute her claims.
Suffering only three defeats in 14 finals between 2016 and 2017, the diminutive Kenyan was unquestionably the world’s leading woman at 1500m during those two seasons. However, after climaxing her 2017 season, Kipyegon made the firm decision she wanted to start a family with her husband, Timothy Kitum, the 2012 Olympic 800m bronze medallist.
