Sifan Hassan has revealed what makes marathon the toughest event in athletics as she continues gearing up for the London Marathon.
Sensational long-distance runner Sifan Hassan has explained what makes the marathon the toughest event in athletics.
The 31-year-old claimed 5000m and 10,000m bronze at the Paris Olympic Games before winning the marathon, setting a Games record in the process.
The Dutchwoman was honored at the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco on December 1, where she won the Women’s Out of Stadium category before being named the Women’s World Athlete of the Year.
Peres Jepchirchir has revealed that she is feeling a lot of pressure ahead of the clash against Sifan Hassan, Ruth Chepng’etich and Co at the London Marathon.
Hassan is poised for a return to the course that launched her as a marathon runner when she lines up for the 2025 London Marathon, on Sunday April 27.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist last stepped up to the London course in 2023, winning her debut marathon in a course record of 2:28:33.
Hassan then triumphed at the Chicago Marathon in 2023 before sprinting to women’s marathon gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics Games, after securing bronze medals in the 5000m and 10,000m in the French capital.
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Ruth Chepng’etich acknowledges the immense challenge of breaking her marathon world record while preparing for a strong comeback in London in April.
The Paris 2024 marathon course was among the most grueling in Olympic history, featuring extreme conditions, a prolonged ascent, and a near-vertiginous climb around the 29km mark, followed by a steep descent leading back to the city center.
Now, Hassan, who appears to be focusing on marathon running after skipping the 1500 meters at the Paris Olympics—possibly signaling the end of her middle-distance career—has explained why she constantly experiences self-doubt despite her dominance in the event.
“I think even if you do these things and you understand how to go about them, it would still be scary,” Hassan shared on Citius Mag.
“Before Paris, I did not know the journey much, which I do now, but as a human being, your brain is scared because you would be going out there for two hours and others for five hours.
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Dutch woman Sifan Hassan has disclosed the Kenyan marathoner she fears the most as she disclosed that Faith Kipyegon is destined for more success if she moves to the marathon.
“You have to push yourself and persevere through the pain for two hours, and it is scary. It does not matter how many marathons you run, you will still be scared because you have to endure for that long, and it hurts the body.”
Hassan elaborated on the challenges of marathon running, specifying which parts of the race she finds most daunting.
“For me, I struggle during the first few kilometers of the race. The first 10 kilometers of the Paris marathon were the worst. I suffered a lot, and at that point, I was like, ‘I have to go for another 35 kilometers?’
“The last 10 kilometers are easier because you know you will sit down and rest soon. In Chicago, the last 10 kilometers were hard, and that is because I pushed too hard and I just wanted to get done with it.”
