New York Marathon: Viola Cheptoo Lagat wants to win for Agnes Tirop
Viola Cheptoo Lagat wants to pay tribute to Agnès Tirop, and she believes the best way to do so would be to win the New York Marathon.
Sport News Africa · Author profile ·
Listen to this story
Audio version in preparation · read aloud by your browser meanwhile
The tragedy of Agnès Tirop is still fresh in the memory. The Kenyan runner was killed in October 2021, aged just 23. It happened three weeks before the New York Marathon. Her compatriot Viola Cheptoo Lagat dedicated her second-place finish to her. But this year the 33-year-old marathon runner is aiming higher: victory. A way of paying tribute to Tirop.
Read also: Tirop murder: a year on, her family demands justice
“I'm going to work hard to win for her this time (…). My training is going very well this time. I feel stronger and I know the field is strong too, but I know Agnès's spirit will still be fighting with me like last time”, Viola Cheptoo Lagat insisted to BBC Sport Africa. Her rivals have been warned. The woman who ran 2h22min44s last year (5 seconds behind winner Jepchirchir) will not go down without a fight.
A present absence
After Agnès Tirop's murder, Viola Cheptoo Lagat had to move forward. It was a delicate task because her compatriot never left her thoughts. So much so that Lagat feared she might not be able to concentrate properly on her race in New York in 2021. “For some reason, I kept thinking back to the race I watched - Agnès breaking the world record in Germany - because we were there [together]. I ran the half marathon that time. When I got to New York, it was flashing in my head. I was thinking, 'I hope I won't get distracted in the middle of a race and lose it.' When I finished, I thought, 'You know, it was God', and I feel like Agnès wanted me to do it that way”.
Stiff competition in New York
This New York Marathon will not be a walk in the park, however, and Viola Cheptoo Lagat is well aware of that. Defending champion Jepchirchir will be there, as will Emily Sisson. Also in the field is Kenya's Hellen Obiri, Olympic silver medallist over 5000m, who is trying her hand at the marathon and whom Lagat will be watching closely.
“Based on what I did last year, when I made my debut in New York and finished second, I'm starting to think that people who are debuting can really surprise you and they can give you a run for your money. I know Obiri will prepare. She already knows what the course is like. In fact, she's top of my list of people I'm really afraid of. I think about her all the time. With people you know, it's easy to work out their moves and what they're going to do, but with someone like Obiri, you never know”, Lagat added. Secretly hoping that Agnès Tirop's spirit will give her wings.
https://twitter.com/stadion_actu/status/1588824505090441218