Kenya's Edna Kiplagat celebrates after winning a silver medal in the women's marathon at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London on August 6, 2017.
It has been 29 years since two-time world marathon champion Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat started competing professionally as an athlete, and the veteran runner reckons she is getting better with time.
During that period, she has won several global titles in track and road races, both in junior and senior categories. Notably, she won gold medal in women’s marathon at the 2011 and 2013 editions of the World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and Moscow respectively.
Now aged 45, she is still going strong, and she credits her longevity in athletics to solid support from her husband and coach Gilbert Koech, religious dedication to her athletics routine, and good work ethic.
When Nation Sport caught up with her in Sergoit, Uasin Gishu County last week, she was putting the final touches to her preparations for 2025 Boston Marathon, which will be held on Monday.
Two-time world marathon Champion Ednah Kiplagat with her husband Gilbert Koech, who is also her coach, in Sergoit, Uasin Gishu County after training on April 12, 2025.
The two-time world marathon champion will compete in Boston for the eighth time this year, since competing in the race for the first time in 2017.
Being a mother, an athlete and a wife can be challenging, but Kiplagat has struck a fine balance between the three roles.
She trains in Boulder City, Colorado in USA but shifts her training to Kenya when the cold season sets in abroad. That was the case when we met her. She trained in Colorado in December last year, January and February, then changed her training base to Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet County, then moved to Uasin Gishu County to fine-tune her tactics for the race.
She dreams of continuing to inspire the young generation of athletes.
She won Boston Marathon on her first attempt in 2017, then registered mixed results in subsequent editions. She again won the race in 2021, and finished third last year. As she prepares to return to the course that she has now become familiar with, she admits that road running has become an integral part of her life.
Edna Kiplagat celebrates after winning the women's marathon at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Daegu on August 27, 2011.
“I’m excited that I will be competing in Boston Marathon again this year. I feel strong, and I know the course well because I have been competing there since 2017 and I have come to enjoy it over the years,” Kiplagat, who has a personal best time of two hours,19 minutes and 50 seconds in the marathon from her second-place finish in the 2012 London Marathon, said.
She admits that the line-up for this year’s race is tough, and the athletes all look good.
She reckons that although the Boston Marathon course presents a big test to an athlete’s fitness and strength of mind, it remains one of her favourite races.
As she prepares to write history again as one of the oldest athletes in the elite category, she is grateful to her husband and coach Gilbert Koech who has been her pillar of strength behind the scenes, and has made sure that she sticks to her athletics routine and proper nutrition.
Kenya's Edna Kiplagat competes in the women's marathon at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London on August 6, 2017.
She also acknowledged her training mates both in Kenya and US together with the physiotherapists saying that they are part of her success.
“This is God-given talent, and the strong support system from my husband Gilbert Koech who is also my coach, and my manager Brendan Reilley has kept me going. My husband understands me and he has been firmly behind me for the past 15 years,” she added.
The family moved to Colorado in January, 2017 the same year she first competed in Boston Marathon and won.
When Kiplagat is not active in training or preparing for races, she assists with coaching students.
Kenyan marathoner Edna Kiplagat with husband Gilbert Koech (left), her son Carlos Kiplagat and daughter Wendy Jemutai on April 20, 2017.
They are blessed with three children - Carlos Kipkorir who is a third year student at St Francis Pennsylvania University, Wendy Cheruiyot who is a Grade 10 student at Niwot High School in Colorado, and Australian-based Collins Kiprop. She plans to take up coaching when she retires.
She has urged upcoming marathoners to train hard, follow instructions and be respectful at all times as that will open doors for them.
“I advise female athletes to do their duties as mothers and wives when at home, and to do what is right in training and competitions to succeed. Athletics is a career that needs a lot of discipline and consistency. Know that your family depends on you, and always know that family comes first,” she said.
In Boston, she will come up against fellow Kenyan athletes like Iren Cheptai, Sharon Cherop, Hellen Obiri, Mary Ngugi, Sharon Lokedi, Stacy Ndiwa, and Cynthia Limo (2:25:10).
