Peres Jepchirchir returns to a heroic welcome after bagging marathon gold

Kenya’s marathon queen Peres Jepchirchir touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Tuesday afternoon to a rousing welcome after storming to world-championship glory in Tokyo.

The 31-year-old arrived aboard Qatar Airways at 1:40 p.m., and was received  by government officials, Athletics Kenya leaders, teammates, and flag-waving fans singing in celebration. Her gold in Tokyo was Kenya’s second of the championships, won in classic Jepchirchir fashion—patient, controlled running followed by a devastating finishing kick.

After 42 km through the streets of Tokyo, Jepchirchir and Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa entered Japan National Stadium shoulder to shoulder. Assefa surged first on the back straight, but Jepchirchir summoned her trademark final kick to edge her rival by two seconds, clocking 2:24:43.

Speaking moments after landing, Jepchirchir dedicated her victory to the nation.

“I dedicate my gold medal to all Kenyans,” she said. “I thank God for the gold. I was praying to be on the podium, and God has answered my prayer.”

The Olympic champion admitted she had felt the weight of expectation.

“I was under a lot of pressure. Ethiopia selected a strong team, and Assefa is the lady who broke my women-only record. My aim now is to break that record back,” she affirmed.

“They believed in us. It means a lot to me—after injuries and coming back to win a world title—it motivates me to aim higher.”

Despite humid Tokyo conditions, Jepchirchir credited her meticulous preparation.

“The race was good despite the challenges of the weather, but we were well prepared,” she added.

Jepchirchir’s résumé is among the most decorated in distance running: Olympic marathon champion, two-time World Half-Marathon champion, holder of three world records, and winner of two World Marathon Majors (New York 2021, Boston 2022). Now she is also a world champion.

Her path to greatness began on a remote farm in Kosaji, Turbo, in Uasin Gishu County. She discovered running in school but had to drop out due to financial hardship, turning to road racing as her way forward. In 2014, she finished second to Faith Kipyegon at the National Cross-Country Championships—just a year after a quiet marathon debut.

From there, her rise was swift. She led Kenya’s historic 1-2-3 sweep at the 2016 World Half-Marathon Championships, broke the half-marathon world record in 2017, and in 2020 retained her world half title and triumphed in Valencia, earning her Olympic call-up. The Tokyo 2021 Olympic gold restored Kenya’s dominance, and her victories in New York and Boston confirmed her status as a global superstar.