Runner Kenya ready to conquer VM Hue 2023
"My preparations went according to plan and I am ready for my first tournament in Vietnam, with the goal of winning the full marathon," Chepkwony said before departing from Bangkok to Vietnam.
Chepkwony's personal best (PB) was 2 hours 19 minutes, at the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 2019. Although training and competition were affected by Covid-19, when putting on shoes back to the track in 2022, This Kenyan runner still achieved many unexpected successes.
In 2022, Chepkwony finished second in Phetchaburi Marathon with a record of 2 hours 25 minutes. After that, he finished first in the Songkla Marathon after 2 hours and 29 minutes and Phang-nga Marathon after 2 hours and 22 minutes. Even so, the 26-year-old runner has yet to reach his personal best goal, and he wants to do it in 2023.
"There are many factors that affect individual performance in a race. We have to know for sure the track, whether it's flat or steep, what the weather is like, what the opponent is like and a few other technical factors. running the MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue 2023 was favorable enough for me to set a new personal record," said Chepkwony.
In February, another Kenyan runner - Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo - finished first in the MetaSports Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2023 after 2:30 minutes 03, ahead of the runner-up - SEA Games champion Hoang Nguyen Thanh - by more than 11 minutes. This achievement of Ezekiel set a new record for the full marathon distance in the events of the MetaSports Marathon system.
If playing properly, Chepkwony can completely break the record of his compatriots, because the MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue track is considered to be favorable for runners to set up PR. According to the PB of this 26-year-old runner, he can even break the marathon record in Vietnam - 2 hours 21 minutes 51 seconds set by athlete Nguyen Chi Dong in Hanoi when attending the 22nd SEA Games at home in December 2003. .
Talking about his feelings before coming to Vietnam for the first time, Chepkwony shared: "I am very excited to know this country. I have never been to and rarely heard of Vietnam. Hope I can know more about the culture, discover and have more experiences on the occasion of competing at the MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue".
MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue 2023 takes place on April 16. The prize doubled in size compared to the previous year. 10,000 runners continue to run on ancient roads, through many famous landmarks of the ancient capital.
