by Jeff Benjamin
This is Jeff Benjamin’s interview with Benson Kipruto, victor at Chicago, Prague, and Boston Marathons, as he talks about the Paris Olympic Marathon on August 7, 2024. Photos courtesy of Tony Gulata. Jeff Benjamin is a senior writer for RunBlogRun and the world’s biggest track fan (well, our limited world) Benson Kipruto is a global athlete, sponsored by adidas.
Calm, Cool, Collected.
Let’s also not forget Confident!
These are the attributes on display by Benson Kipruto.
“When one has a race plan for the marathon, it always goes out when the race starts,” said Kipruto.
“You must prepare for everything.”
The Adidas athlete from Kenya had indeed prepared successfully in the past.
Sporting a Marathon personal best time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 16 seconds, which he set a few months ago in Tokyo, Kipruto has scored wins over the 26 miles, 385-yard distance in Chicago (2022) and Boston (2021).
But many of the so-called experts note that the Paris course, with its challenging late race hills, throws fast times out the windows, and for the marathon field, that has led to adjustments in training.
“I’ve trained mainly on the mountains and on the downhills,” said Kipruto, who is known for his remarkable efficiency on the downhills.
“I’ve developed a technique for racing downhills.”
Also utilizing his strength, Kipruto noted that he does do weight training, “But only during the build-up phase.”
Even though this is his first Olympics, the respectful, mild-mannered Kenyan sounded confident in his upcoming performance on August 10th.
Perhaps one of the reasons is that Kipruto had beaten the legendary Eliud Kipchoge (2-time Olympic Marathon Champion known for his sub-2 hour marathon!) 3 times over the distance, finishing ahead of him in London (2020), Boston (2023), and Tokyo (2024).
Regarding any advice for young runners, Kipruto emphasized the importance of dedication, not only of the body but of the mind.
“It is essential to have discipline and faith,” said Kipruto, inspiring young runners worldwide.
“You must always prepare.”
When asked if He had any running idols as a youngster, Kipruto’d eyes lit up excitedly, and said –
“Eliud Kipchoge!”
Special thanks to Ann-Maris Muhlbauer, Manager PR for adidas, and the adidas team for their hospitality with Jeff Benjamin, senior writer, and his photographer, Tony Gulata.
