Purity Chepkirui triumphed at the Sirikwa Classic Cross-Country Championships, drawing inspiration from her mentor to overcome challenging conditions.
Former world under-20 1500m champion Purity Chepkirui was flawless as she claimed top honours in the women’s 2km loop at the Sirikwa Classic Cross-Country Championships on Saturday at the Lobo Village in Eldoret.
Chepkirui clocked an impressive 6:46 minutes ahead of her closest challenger, Olympian Lilian Odira who finished second in 6:47 minutes. Daisilah Jerono Bor rounded up the podium, crossing the finish line in a time of 6:48 minutes.
The 22-year-old recounted that the race was not a walk in the park following the hot weather and tough course but having competed on the course in previous seasons, she managed to use that to her advantage and cruised smoothly to a win.
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Purity Chepkirui revealed that drawing her motivation from triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has also played a huge role in her success as a young athlete.
Purity Chepkirui revealed that from the first time she watched Faith Kipyegon compete, she knew that she wanted to be like her hence the motivation to always go one step better in each race.
“Today’s race has been okay but the weather was a bit tough because there was too much wind but I’ve managed to win the race and I’m grateful to God,” Purity Chepkirui told reporters after the race.
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“I competed in the 1500m and I was motivated by Faith Kipyegon. I saw her run the first time and she impressed me with her run and from then onwards, I knew I always wanted to be like her.
“I’m training with my main focus on making the World Championships team…I have won in Sirikwa several times and I also competed here last year.”
Chepkirui was already off to a winning start to her season, winning the 2km race at the National Cross-Country Championships held at the Eldoret Sports Club.
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Purity Chepkirui is using cross-country to build up for the track season as she looks to bounce back to winning ways after the previous tough seasons that forced her to miss major competitions due to an injury and other commitments.
