Reigning Enschede marathon champion Maurine Chepkemoi is optimistic that she will run well at the Commonwealth Games in marathon come next month.
Making her debut for Kenya in marathon, Chepkemoi has set her focus to claim a medal after recording the best time among the women team ahead of the Commonwealth Games set for July 28th to August 8th in Birmingham, Great Britain.
The shy talking athlete said she was so happy to be in the team even though she is in a reserve team for the club games.
“This was a surprise for me and I am happy to be selected in the Kenya team for the Commonwealth Games. As much as this will be my first time in team Kenya, I have to do well if I am to make it to the final round,” said Chepkemei.
After finishing second at the Amsterdam marathon last year when she clocked 2:20.18 finishing behind compatriot Angela Tanui, Chepkemoi said that her time attracted the federation to choose her against other athletes.
“I ran my personal best in Amsterdam and that should have attracted the federation officials to choose me. As I make this debut, I promise to work hard for the country and myself too,” she said.
This year, the former Kisumu marathon champion shrugged off top runners to claim the Enschede marathon title when she cut the tape in 2:21.10 leading.
“As I make my debut in the Kenya team, I want to come home with good results and set my personal best that now stands at 2:20.18 set in Berlin,” said the 2019 Istanbul marathon bronze medalist after timing 2:24.16.
She also won bronze at the Vienna City marathon in 2019 in 2:26.16 that was won by Kenyan Nancy Kiprop.
Apart from competing at the global stage, she was also the 5th finisher at the inaugural Rimoi kapnarok half marathon in 2018.
Following her victory at the Enschede marathon, she missed out on the Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK)’s Sports person of the month of April where Boston marathon champion Evans Chebet won.
If she makes the team. She will be marshalling Kenyan forces with Purity Changwony (2:22:16, Siena, 2021), Margaret Wangare (2:29:29, Los Angeles, 2020) and Stella Barsosio (2:22:08, Rotterdam, 2021)