The US-based star has opted to return home to tune up for her Boston Marathon defence as she seeks to win her third straight title in the American city.
Hellen Obiri has explained a number of times in the last two years how training in the US has shaped her marathon career since making her debut in the 42km race in New York in 2022.
Obiri made her marathon debut in the ‘Big Apple’ and finished sixth but since then, she has won two Boston Marathon titles, back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, won in New York in 2023, before second place last year, and is looking for a rare hat-trick in Boston this year.
The 35-year-old credited her decision to relocate to the US, where she linked up with Colorado-based coach Dathan Ritzenhein, for her change in fortunes in marathons, saying a lot of what she witnessed and learnt in America had not been experienced back home.
However, ahead of her Boston Marathon defence on April 21, Obiri is back in Kenya for her preparations, hoping to combine some high-altitude training back home plus what she had been getting in the US for an effective outcome.
Obiri, who arrived in Kenya on Thursday, has laid an elaborate 10-week training programme that she hopes will lead her to glory, as she seeks to join Ethiopian Fatuma, German Roba Uta Pippig and Kenyan compatriot Catherine Ndereba as the only women to have won the Boston Marathon three or more times.
She will face familiar foes at this year’s race, including Kenyans Sharon Lokedi and veteran Edna Kiplagat, who gave her a run for her money last year. Obiri beat Lokedi by just eight seconds to retain her title in 2024 while Kiplegat finished third, after coming close to winning the race before running out of team on the final stretch.
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Olympic marathon bronze medallist Hellen Obiri is aiming to become the first woman to win three consecutive Boston Marathon titles having signed up for this year’s race.
There are seven women with sub-2:20 PBs, including world champion Amane Beriso, who finished second to Obiri in 2023, her Ethiopian colleague Yalemzerf Yehualaw, the 2022 London Marathon champion, as well as Kenya’s Sharon Cherop, the 2021 winner in Boston.
“Defending a win is never easy, and to win the Boston Marathon twice in a row was hard, but I am happy to have done it. On race day, I will again push for the win and hope to make it three in a row,” Obiri said when the elite field for this year’s race was unveiled last week.
