Kiplagat eyeing Worlds marathon glory beyond Doha

At 39, two-time marathon World Champion Edna Kiplagat is going for gold and nothing less in the forthcoming Doha edition, having narrowly missed the title in 2017.

Kiplagat will lead a strong team that has Ruth Chepng’etich and Visiline Jepkesho in clean podium sweep mission, admitting Doha is not the best place for records but titles.

The London 2017 silver medalist and former New York marathon champion interestingly says she eyes up to 2021 world championships glory, when she will be 41.

The women marathon team will to open Kenya’s medal hunt, when they hit the road shortly after the opening ceremony at the Khalifa International Stadium, on September 27.

The 2017 Boston Marathon champion is set to make history as the first woman to win the world title three times. She is however conscious of the tough conditions expected in Doha.

“We are preparing well so far. We have done a few changes in training our training program because we are told the will be too much heat in Doha. We are therefore training hard in the day to get ready for the conditions there,” said Kiplagat.

With her personal best time of 2:19.50 set during the London Marathon in 2012, the former New York City Marathon champion is however not looking to better her time in Doha.

“In 2017 I tried my best, my target was to make history and win the third gold but fatigue derailed me in the last kilometers. This year I want to bring home the gold medal, the rest can come as a plus,” explained a confident Kiplagat.

The Daegu 2011 and Moscow 2013 marathon queen thinks she has unfinished business at the Worlds, and can do more beyond the Doha edition.

“I still believe I have energy to compete up to 2021, so Doha is not the last stop. If I make it there I can still push further in the next edition,” the decorated runner revealed.

She says a six-year wait for another gold is long enough and hopes to culminate into a glamorous end, after her dream for a third title was quashed by Kenyan born Bahrain’s Rose Chelimo in London.

“I leave it all to God, I believe in this team and with good team work we can conquer the world gain,” concluded Kiplagat, who almost quit after the 2017 loss.