Mercy Cherono reflects on her journey through challenges, maternity leave, and police training as she prepares for a strong comeback in athletics.
Once a beacon of hope for Kenyan long distance running, Mercy Cherono just disappeared from the track and the limelight in a split second and few knew where she disappeared to.
But where has she been? Cherono has been busy taking a refresher course being a National Police officer. She also went on maternity leave in 2023 after the course and resumed her studies in 2024, hence not competing that much.
Despite the few setbacks the ‘smiling assassin’ has had, she assured her fans that this season will be much bigger and better and having started it with a cross-country race, things are looking up.
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Mercy Cherono was in action at the National Police Cross-Country Championships in Ngong where she finished eighth in 35:03. At the end of last season, Cherono competed at the Kericho Betika Cross Country and the Bingwafest in Eldoret.
She admitted that training has been very challenging especially during the 2024 season but she had to show up and pursue what she loves doing most.
Mercy Cherono now has eyes on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan where she hopes to relive the good old days that she graced the track with pride and won medals for her motherland, Kenya.
“I want to start by thanking God because he has walked with me throughout the whole of last year because there were a lot of challenges and training was up and down. After the course I feel re-energized and ready to take on any challenges that come my way,” Cherono said in an interview with Athletics Arena TV.
“The course is not bad and it’s actually great for cross-country but the grass was one of my challenges. In 2023, I went on my maternity leave then after that I went for a course for the whole of last year and I didn’t compete in many races at the time. This is more of a build up for my training ahead of a busy season and it’s helping me reduce the tons of work.”
Before the huge setback that saw her disappear for about two years, Mercy Cherono had won the silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and then proceeded to claim a gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, competing in the 5000m.
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She won the gold medals at the 2008 and 2010 World Junior Championships. In 2010, she also won a silver in the 5000m. Cherono was also a serial cross-country runner, having won the junior title at the 2010 World Cross country championships and claimed silver in the 2009 edition.
Cherono was also in action at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where she finished fourth in the final of the women’s 5000m.
