Olympic bronze medalist Hellen Obiri has admitted she is under pressure to defend her Boston Marathon title, as she prepares for a stab at history, to become the first Kenyan woman to win it three times in a row.
The 35 year old has won twice in a row in Boston, in 2023 and 2024, and has been confirmed as part of the elite field for the 2025 showpiece, where she will be taking a shot at history.
Speaking exclusively to Telecomasia.net from her training base in Ngong town, in the outskirts of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, Obiri admitted she is under pressure heading to Boston.
There is pressure of course because there is a very strong field of athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia. But I take this positively because it is pushing me to work harder towards defending my title. It is my ambition to make history and win it three consecutive times, and there is pressure being the defending champion because every eye is looking at you. But I am working towards that. I am motivated by this ambition.
Usually based in the United States, Obiri has moved her preliminary training to her old home in Ngong due to the harsh winter currently experienced.
It would have been difficult for me to keep training in the US because there is a very strong winter and it is snowing most of the time and this would force me to skip some days. That is why I opted to come back to Kenya and start my preparations here then travel back for the final phase towards race day.
The 2025 Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 2021. Among the elite athletes confirmed to compete alomngside Obiri include Sharon Lokedi, Maru Ngugi and Edna Kiplagat all based in the USA as well as Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Amane Beriso.
