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Dec 02, 2008

MVP: Nephat Kinyanjui | Marathon Champion

In the Long Run

Last year you won the Beijing International Marathon. Can you tell us about that? How many people did you beat? It was great! I ran my fastest time ever, so I was very happy. The crowds were very enthusiastic, which made for a wonderful experience. I don’t know how many people finished behind me. I just wanted to make sure that nobody finished in front of me. That’s a good point. So you’re running this year’s marathon. What are your expectations? I’m looking forward to coming back to defend my title. I’ve been training hard and am hoping to beat my time from last year of 2:08. Wow, 40 km in two hours. How long have you been training? I started running in 1999 when I was in primary school. At first I ran for fun in school and then competed on the school team. When I finished school, I met runner John Kagwe who won the New York City Marathon twice. I started to train seriously with him as my coach. I still have that first program he gave me. In total, I’ve been training for marathons for five years. What’s the first thing you do after crossing the finish line? I celebrate if it’s a victory, and always give thanks to God. I usually travel home the day after the race because I miss my family. I don’t have any special routine. Is there a special way that you need to train for the Beijing International Marathon? Yes, I prepare differently for the BIM than other races. I train at a higher speed in order to get a faster time. Some of the other races have more hills, so I need to do a different kind of training. BIM has a very flat and fast course, which is good for fast times. Any plans while you are in Beijing? I will be in Beijing five days. I plan to do some shopping and see some of the famous tourist sites. I would love to see the Great Wall on this trip. I would stay longer to see more if my wife were traveling with me. Since she’s not, I’ll go home right after the race to be with my family.