Nairobi — Nairobi City Marathon champion Brimin Kipkorir has revealed that winning last year's edition of the road race changed his life for the better after a spate of losses.
The two-time StanChart Marathon champion said he had suffered a number of heartbreaks on the road and that his win at the first edition of the Nairobi City Marathon turned the tide for him.
"The Nairobi City Marathon was a God-send for me because at the time things were not working out well in my career. I had participated in a number of races and only just managed to get into the Top 10. The financial windfall from the marathon also boosted me a lot in my projects," Kipkorir said.
Kipkorir timed 2:08:30 in last year's 42km race to emerge tops, ahead of Richard Rop (2:09:17) and Daniel Yator (2:10:15) in second and third respectively.
The win was just the right tonic he required for his subsequent win at the Frankfurt Marathon in October last year, after clocking 2:06:11.
Furthermore, for his 'troubles' at the Nairobi City Marathon, Kipkorir walked home Ksh 5 million richer.
He is somewhat disappointed that the prize money for this year's edition has been reduced to Ksh 3.5 million.
"I see that the prize money for this year has been slightly reduced. That was kind of a surprise to me considering the amount that was given out last year. I wish it wasn't reduced," Kipkorir said.
Prize money, notwithstanding, the 2018 Athens Marathon champion is rubbing his hands with glee at the opportunity to compete in the capital -- a place he knows too well like the back of his hand.
"You see...where we train is quite hilly and a high altitude area. Nairobi is quite a low altitude compared to our training areas and that is why we find it easier to excel in races that are held in the city. I have had a few injury woes in the recent past but I am back in training and working relentlessly towards a second Nairobi City Marathon title," he said.
Kipkorir will be keen to erase the memories of his last race in March at the Tokyo Marathon where he clocked 2:07:36 to finish a disappointing 13th.
The Nairobi City Marathon will be held on July 2, primarily along the Nairobi Expressway, and will feature four categories of races including 42km, 21km, 10km and 6km fun run.
