Kenyan male athletes made history at the World Marathon Majors Series (WMMs) on Sunday, November 6, when Evans Chebet stormed to victory at the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon.
Chebet’s win in the streets of New York helped Kenya to become the only country to have won all the six Abbott World Marathon Majors series (WMMs) twice.
This season, the winners of Berlin, London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago and New York City Marathons were all Kenyans.
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Legendary runner Eliud Kipchoge won both the Berlin Marathon and Tokyo Marathon titles.
At the Berlin Marathon staged on Sunday, September 25, Kipchoge produced a superb performance to break his own world record.
He reached the tape in 2:01.09 to smash the previous record of 2:01.39 which he set at the same course in 2018.
Prior to his Berlin Marathon success, the father of three had led his compatriot Amos Kipruto to a 1-2 finish at the Tokyo Marathon in May. Kipchoge won the Tokyo Marathon title in 2:02.40.
Eliud’s training partner Benson Kipruto on the other hand clocked 2:04.24 to bag the Chicago Marathon title ahead of Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata and Kenya’s John Korir.
Amos, who also trains alongside Kipchoge and Benson ran a tactical race last month to clinch the prestigious London Marathon title. He crossed the finishing line in 2:04.39.
Chebet, who has never donned the Kenyan colors in international competitions, registered victories at both the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon this year.
He clocked 2:06.51 and 2:08.41 to emerge victorious in Boston and New York respectively.
This is the second time in history that Kenyan road race runners have dominated the WMMs series.
In 2011, Kenyan runners also won all the WMMs series with Geoffrey Mutai winning both the Boston and New York City Marathon titles.
Patrick Makau, Emmanuel Mutai and Moses Mosop shone at the Berlin, London and Chicago Marathons respectively.
The Tokyo Marathon had not yet received the WMMs status then.