Four-time world champion Vivian Cheruiyot plans to retire from athletics in the next two years after an illustrious career at the top.
Cheruiyot says time is not on her side even as she hopes to run in a number of marathons before calling it a day.
“I want to run in a number of races in the next two years or so although time is not on my side. After that, I will just hang up my shoes and then relax,” the 41-year-old said.
Cheruiyot has cemented her name as one of Kenya’s most successful female runners, boasting a quadruple of world crowns — Berlin 2009 (5000m), Daegu 2011 (5000m and 10,000m), and Beijing 2015 (5000m).
She also etched her name in Kenyan athletics folklore when she clocked 14:26.17 in the women’s 5000m to win the Olympic title in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro — a feat that remained unbroken by any other Kenyan until Beatrice Chebet romped to victory at last year’s games in Paris.
Having been out of action for close to three years (2020-2023) due to motherhood, Cheruiyot has returned to athletics with a renewed vigour.
A third place finish at last year’s New York Marathon bore witness to the fact that class is forever as far as her talent is concerned.
She continued her resurgence with a fifth-place finish at last Sunday’s London Marathon, clocking 2:22:32.
It was a result that delighted her considering she was a last-minute invitation to the race following the withdrawal of last year’s winner Peres Jepchirchir and world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich.
“I am very happy with my performance. I got this chance to come to London at the last minute and I want to thank the organisers for this opportunity. I am proud of myself…to be in fifth position is a really good result. I have done a lot,” the 2018 London Marathon champion said.
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She added: “I was actually preparing for the Hamburg Marathon but then I got a call inviting me for London and so I decided to shelve my plans to run in Germany. I am proud of my finish today.”
The 2011 World Cross Country champion further admitted she was tactical and realistic about her capabilities in the race.
“I wanted to stay in the second group because I think the first group they were trying to run 2:15. For me, I could only do 2:18 so I stayed with the second group so that I could finish strong. I didn’t want to push from the start because their pace was too fast for me,” she said.
Sunday’s race was Cheruiyot’s second this year, having run at the Lisbon Half Marathon, last month, where she clocked 1:09:27 to finish ninth.
