Kenya made a one-two finish in the women’s marathon, with Peres Jepchirchir finishing the gruelling race ahead of world record holder Brigid Kosgei, in a time of two hours, 27 minutes and 20 seconds, her season’s best time.
In the physically exhausting race in the hot and humid Sapporo weather, Peres, the two-time world half marathon champion was 16 seconds ahead of Brigid. American marathoner Molly Seidel, a relative newcomer to the marathon, took home the bronze in two hours 27 minutes 46 seconds.
“It feels good,” said Peres after winning gold. “I’m so, so happy because we win as Kenya. First and second,” she was quoted as saying by the Olympic channel.
“I thank my god so much. I’m happy for my family. I’m happy for my country, Kenya. I pushed on the pace (and when I opened the gap) it was like, ‘wow, I’m going to make it. I’m going to win’.”
Due to the extreme weather conditions, the Games organisers started the race one hour earlier, at 6 am Japan time and an 88-strong field lined up for the 42km event at the Sapporo Odori Park. There were a total of 14 ‘Did Not Finish (DNFs)’, including Kenya’s world champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya.
“It was so hot, it was not easy,” said Peres.
“I’m just thankful I managed (to cope) with that weather. It is very hot but we tried to do our best,” added Brigid.
Ruth and Brigid were the early leaders, with a group of 10 runners accompanying them along the way. None of the runners made a real strike for home for the first 30km of the race as they paced themselves through the streets of Sapporo.
The real race began at the 36km mark.
A small breakaway group including Brigid, Peres, Molly and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel moved away from the rest of the field, opening an 11-second gap.
Brigid moved up from sixth to run alongside her fellow Kenyan and, just before the 38km-mark, they made a push for victory.
American runner Molly began to lose ground as did Israel’s Lonah while the Kenyans moved away.
Soon after, Lonah began to walk, the heat getting too much for the Israeli runner and she finally finished 66th.
With less than a kilometre to go, Peres made another push for home to cement her position as the world’s top female marathon runner. Peres’s gold gave Kenya their second consecutive women’s marathon title at the Games. The women’s race in Rio in 2016 was won by Jemima Sumgong.
This was the 10th edition of women’s marathon at the Olympics after it was first included in the Los Angeles Games in 1984. Kenya have won seven marathon medals in the event’s 10 appearances, but this was the country’s first gold and silver in a single Olympic marathon race.
