Hellen Obiri admits her marathon debut didn’t go as planned.
The two-time world champion in the 5,000 meters targeted last year’s New York City Marathon as her first attempt at 26.2. But after hanging with the lead pack for 35K, at times pushing the pace, Obiri began to feel fatigued around 38K. She ultimately crossed the line in sixth place.
“In New York last year, I was impatient,” Obiri said in a phone call with Runner’s World. “I made the big mistake of going too early in the race.”
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This year, she’s out for redemption. Obiri, 33, will line up for a second crack at the New York City Marathon on November 5 with a newfound appreciation for the course and some takeaways from the two marathons now under her belt.
Lesson(s) learned
Four months after running New York, Obiri was a late addition to the Boston Marathon. Going into the race, she knew she would have to fight her instincts and sit back in the pack, making sure to not exert too much effort early on. Sure enough, her patience paid off. Obiri waited until under a mile to go to make a decisive move and took the win in 2:21:38.
Obiri says that winning Boston has put some extra pressure on her. There are high expectations that come with winning a major marathon, but Obiri is trying to embrace them. “Sometimes I do like a challenge, I do like pressure from people,” she says. “If you have pressure, you can just go on and train well because you have to show them you’re capable of doing this.”
Since winning Boston, Obiri has run some shorter races to keep in touch with her famous track speed. In May, she traveled to her home country of Kenya to win the 5,000 meters at the Kenya Defence Forces Championships in Nairobi (Obiri is a member of the Kenyan military). In June, she took second at the New York Mini 10K and won the BAA 10K, before finishing first at the Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, on Saturday. Next up is the Falmouth Road Race (a 7-miler) on August 20.
“I like to run fast,” Obiri says. “So sometimes when I do a 10K, I use it as preparation … because it will help me towards my marathon.”
Support comes in all forms
Back in her home of Boulder, Colorado, Obiri trains with the On Athletics Club. While the group mostly focuses on the track—Obiri is the sole marathoner—she says she enjoys the team atmosphere and will jump in interval workouts or fartleks with her teammates, like Alicia Monson and Josette Andrews, in the midst of 118-mile weeks. “We are like one team and one family,” Obiri says.
Not to mention the support of her actual family. Last summer, Obiri relocated to Boulder and her family—husband Tom Nyaundi and 8-year-old daughter Tania—joined her in the spring of 2023. She says she loves having them close by, and they’ve been enjoying the new city. (Tania starts third grade next week, although Obiri admits she’s a bit nervous.)
“[My family] gives me a lot of support during my training,” she says. “And when you are here with your family, you get that extra motivation because your family is watching you training and watching you compete. They are so happy to be here.”
A step toward greatness
The New York City Marathon is intimately in Obiri’s crosshairs—she wants to win in November. She loves the energy of the fans, and she’s familiar with the course at this point. While New York was a trial run of sorts last year, Boston proved to her that she has the potential, and patience, to be the best in the world on the roads.
Obiri isn’t shy about her long-term goal. Despite being one of the most decorated track runners of the century, an Olympic gold medal has eluded her throughout her career. She’s come close: silver in the 5,000 meters in Rio, silver in the 5,000 meters in Tokyo.
“The only medal I’m missing is Olympic gold,” Obiri says. “I’ve been getting silver, so I do want to work hard so that I can upgrade my silver into a gold. That would be a big opportunity for me.”
Theo Kahler is the news editor for Runner’s World. He is a former all-conference collegiate runner who’s based in Easton, PA. Previously, he worked as the newsletters editor at Runner's World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics.
