When the year started, Benson Kipruto was high in hope he would defend his Tokyo Marathon title, but all didn’t go to plan as he finished a disappointing seventh.
It was a heartbreaking defeat in a race he won in commanding fashion the previous year, but speaking to Telecomasia.net, the 34-year old long distance specialist says he wants to use it as fuel for the rest of the year, where he targets to win at least one major marathon.
Tokyo was not good for me at all, but I take that as a learning process and a stepping stone to push me to work harder for the rest of the season. The weather was not favourable and my body just didn’t respond well. But now I have recovered from that defeat and my focus is back. I had taken time to rest and recover and now I have started my training again as I wait for the next assignment. I am yet to decide which race I am picking next, but definitely, my eyes are on a major marathon. I want not just to compete, but finish on the podium.
Kipruto has won Boston and Chicago before and might be tempted to seek a second title later in the year. However, with the World Championships also in this year and only one month separating the two, he is faced with hard choices on which to pick between the two.
He competed for Team Kenya at last year’s Olympic Games where he won bronze.
