KENYA NAMES PRELIMINARY OLYMPIC MARATHON TEAMS
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

(04-Apr) -- In a highly-anticipated announcement, Athletics Kenya named their preliminary marathon teams for the 2024 Paris Olympics today.  Officials named six women and five men, and the squad will eventually have to be whittled down to three women and three men to stay within Olympic Games limits.  The athletes are as follows (listed with their sponsor affiliations and personal best times):

WOMEN -
 Ruth Chepngetich (Nike), 2:14:18 (Chicago, 2022)
 Brigid Kosgei (Nike), 2:14:04 (Chicago, 2019)
 Hellen Obiri (On Athletics Club), 2:21:38 (Boston, 2023)
 Rosemary Wanjiru (adidas), 2:16:14 (Tokyo, 2024)
 Sharon Lokedi (Under Armour), 2:23:23 (New York, 2022)
 Peres Jepchirchir (adidas), 2:17:16 (Valencia, 2020)

MEN -
 Eliud Kipchoge (Nike/NN Running Team), 2:01:09 (Berlin, 2022)
 Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (Asics), 2:03:13 (Berlin, 2023)
 Timothy Kiplagat (Nike), 2:02:55 (Tokyo, 2024)
 Benson Kipruto (adidas), 2:02:16 (Tokyo, 2024)
 Alexander Mutiso Munyao (adidas), 2:03:11 (Valencia, 2023)

Both Jepchirchir and Kipchoge are the reigning Olympic champions, and Kosgei was the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist.  Both Kipchoge and Kosgei are former world record holders.  Most experts expect Jepchirchir, Kipchoge and Kosgei to make the final cut, despite the fact that Kipchoge is 39 years-old and only finished tenth at last month's Tokyo Marathon.  Kipchoge also won the 2016 Olympic Marathon, and if he runs in Paris he would have a chance to become the first man in history to win three consecutive Olympic Marathons.

Naming the last three athletes will be more difficult, although if Hellen Obiri wins the Boston Marathon on April 15 for the second consecutive year she is likely to lock in a team berth.  Obiri, a highly-decorated international performer, is the only athlete (male or female) to have won a World Athletics global title in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

Notably absent from the list is Evans Chebet (adidas), the 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathon champion who also won the TCS New York City Marathon in 2022.

"Where's Evans Chebet?" veteran Kenyan journalist Saddique Shaban posted today on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.  "Put him in the list!"

Because Athletics Kenya does not use a trials race to determine the team (like the United States), the team selection process is ultimately political and opaque.  There are no fixed team selection criteria outside of making the Paris 2024 entry standards of 2:08:10 (men) and 2:26:50 (women) which all of these athletes have easily surpassed.

There is no timetable for the declaration of the final team, but the World Athletics qualification process for the Olympic Marathon closes on Sunday, May 5.


PHOTO: Peres Jepchirchir winning the half-marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

PHOTO: Eliud Kipchoge finishing sixth at the 2023 Boston Marathon (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)