Former world junior 800m junior champion Lydia Wafula will be seeking back to back titles when she lines up at Kilimanjaro Marathon set for this Sunday 1st March 2020 in Tanzania.
The runner who moved from the two-lap race to road running said her ambitions will be to defend her title she won last year, leading to a podium sweep.
The strict Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) member said she is in her top form ready to win in one of the East Africa best marathons.
“It is joyful when an athlete defends the title. Last year, I was in my best form. Same as this year, I want to run well in Tanzania before thinking if hitting other races across the world,” said Wafula in Eldoret as she boarded to Arusha.
The 2017 Kampala marathon champion (2:44.59) said the race has always attracted many Kenyan runners and that will not deter her efforts to reclaim the title to become the queen of the race.
“I know many Kenyans will be lining up to grab the title but that will not bother my title defence. I have been training all through to ensure that I make a difference in my road running career,” added Wafula.
The Prison Kenya wardress based in Lang’ata women’s prison was forced to quit track due to her faith where the majority of the events and finals are run on Saturday, which is her Sabbath that compromises her faith.
“I can’t and will never run on Saturdays. Saturday is a day well preserved to serve my God and not run. I decided to compete in marathon because many marathons are run on Sunday unlike track events that normally finals are held on Saturday,” said the former world 800m junior finalists.
Last year, Wafula led an all podium finish for Kenyan runners in Tanzania when she clocked 2:52.27 ahead of Monica Cheruto (2:58.00), Tecla Chebet (3:08.57) and Sheila Kiplagat (3:09.44) for all 1-2-3-4 Kenyan finish.
In men, Cosmas Muteti won the men’s race an all top five Kenyan finishers. Muteti won in 2:18.27 ahead David Rutoh (2:18.48), Philip Kangogo (2:19.29), Felix Kangogo (2:21.51) and William Cheboi (2:21.54).
Wafula started as two-lap race runner as a junior but after graduating, she did not perform well on track and started as a pace-setter, which also did not offer her good results, then saw a good venture into road running and took up the challenge.
“I saw an opportunity in the marathon where they have no season, unlike track events that are seasonal. There are so many road races across the world run daily and have no season. I realized I was wasting too much time on track. Now am competing and managing marathon running so well,” said 2019 Kigali marathon 6th placed.
She started her career marathon during the inaugural Eldoret City Marathon in 2018 in Eldoret where she finished in 26th position but that did not deter her ambitions in the 42km distance.