Runner Kenya: 'I will win if I rematch the Japanese opponent'
"I didn't expect such a strong opponent in this tournament, because I did not see information about him appearing before the tournament. Anyway, it is good for athletes like Nakajima to participate. I have run in many countries and know Japanese runners. Ban. They all trained seriously and achieved good results," said Chepkwony.
Chepkwony had a visa problem, so he missed the MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue in April. He was very eager to conquer the championship when he came to Vietnam this time to attend the MetaSports Marathon Marvelous Nha Trang 2023 and was considered the number one candidate in the distance. 42km south. However, in the race on the morning of August 13, he finished after 2 hours 41 minutes 19, nearly eight minutes behind the champion Nakajima.
"After two consecutive months of attending tournaments, I was at the end of the exercise cycle, so I was not in the best shape, leading to a result that was far below expectations today," Chepkwony replied when asked about the achievement. After MetaSports Marathon Marvelous Nha Trang 2023, he will return to his hometown to rest to prepare for the 2024 season.
"I will definitely beat Nakajima if I rematch at the MetaSports Marathon Marvelous Nha Trang. I think if I don't have any health problems, I can reach 2 hours and 20 minutes on this track," continued Chepkwony.
Runner Kenya also did not forget to thank the Vietnamese running community and fans for the welcome. He promised to return when the new season begins. Chepkwony said he can't wait to return to Kenya to reunite and help his family, who count on the bonuses and remuneration the 26-year-old runner earns to improve their lives.
"I will split the winnings in this tournament in half. Part of it, I will use to expand my business. In Kenya, I opened a retail outlet of running shoes and sports equipment thanks to the money I have accumulated from tournaments. The rest I want to spend to help my family," he said.
Chepkwony is a member of the professional running team Dever. This Kenyan runner mainly trains at the team's headquarters in his home country, but from about three years ago, regularly competes for tournaments in Southeast Asia. Besides the full marathon, Chepkwony also competed in the distances of 10km with a PB of 29 minutes and 10 seconds, and a half marathon with a PB of 1 hour and 4 minutes.
His personal best (PB) in the full marathon was 2 hours 19 minutes, at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 2019. Although training and competition were affected by Covid-19, when he put his shoes back on the road. Running in 2022, this Kenyan runner still achieves many unexpected successes. In 2022, Chepkwony finished second in Phetchaburi Marathon with a record of 2 hours 25 minutes. After that, he won first place in Songkla Marathon after 2 hours and 29 minutes and Phang-nga Marathon after 2 hours and 22 minutes.
