Hellen Obiri winning the Boston Marathon wasn’t a question of if it would happen, but when. 2023 just happened to be her time to shine.
Obiri is coming off a long, successful career on the track that included multiple World Championship titles and Olympic medals. But for years she had already been displaying her skills across all aspects of the sport, from indoor and outdoor track, to cross country, to the roads. Her versatility was a precursor to the success she displayed this past weekend in Boston, just her 2nd marathon ever.
“Winning the Boston Marathon shows that I’m capable of doing better in upcoming marathons. It’s very hard to come from the track to the marathon. So winning here shows that I have a future to do well in upcoming marathons.”
Growing up in Kenya, at an early age, Obiri started off as a sprinter but she realized that one day she would cross paths with the marathon distance.
“When I was young, I used to watch marathons, and I would say jokingly, I want to do the marathons. Some people would say, from the sprints, you want to do the marathon? But I said if I do the marathon, maybe that could be my best distance.”
When Obiri entered the sport as a professional, she started off running mid-distance, making her World Championship debut in Daegu 2011 in the 1500m and later winning a Bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships. Over the next 10 years though, Obiri would take multiple steps up in her career, both literally and figuratively.
She first stepped up in distance to the 5000m, going on to win Olympic silver in 2016. But just a year later, she took a step up on the podium from 2nd to 1st, winning back-to-back World Championship Golds in London 2017 and Doha 2019. She followed that up with another Olympic Silver in Tokyo 2020.
Obiri made another jump up to the 10000m, winning World Silver in Eugene 2022.
In the midst of her successful outdoor career, she also won World Indoor medals in the 3000m, and later decided to take a step off the track and onto the roads and the cross country fields.
In 2018, a 2nd place finish in the Madrid 10k opened the door for what was possible on the roads, including multiple wins in races from 5km to the half marathon between 2019 and 2022. Along with that, Obiri also won the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. This made her the first woman to have ever won World titles in Indoor track, Outdoor track and Cross Country.
“Though I have done all the events, I can say I like the 5000m more. It’s a shorter distance and it needs more speed. And I’ve run the 5000m so many times so I know the race.”
In June of 2022, Obiri announced that she would be retiring from the track after the World Championships that year and moving up to the marathon moving forward. Her decision was met with questions and intrigue, but considering how she had dominated every facet of her career up to that point, it was almost certain she would excel on this new stage.
In her first marathon in November 2022, Obiri finished a strong 6th place in New York City in a time of 2:25:49 which was impressive considering the very challenging course the New York Marathon is. At that point though, Obiri had no plans on what her next marathon was. And even more notable is she didn’t know she would be running Boston until barely 3 weeks out.
“I’m coming from the New York Marathon, do I now go for the Boston Marathon? I tried to see the startlists and there were ladies running faster times than me. But my coach told me you have trained well and the Boston Marathon is anyone’s game.”
Obiri was confident in her abilities and her training. She even felt she was in 2:16 marathon shape at that point coming off her debut in New York. But her coach, Dathan Ritzenhein of the On Athletics Club, told her to be patient. And after sitting on the idea for 3 days, Hellen made her decision. And she told her coach “now I’m ready to go for the Boston Marathon. And I told my coach, if I go there, I’m going to win the race”.
And that she did.
A masterful finish brought Obiri her first marathon title here in Boston in what was a surprise to many, but likely seen by those following the trajectory of her career.
From watching the marathon when she was a child, to winning gold medals on the track, to traversing the grass and mud of cross country courses, Obiri has been a multi-talented athlete, consistently cementing herself further and further into history with every new year and every new challenge she has taken on.
Additionally, Obiri’s career has allowed her to serve as a role model for many. And having her now 7-year old daughter has allowed her to reflect on being an inspiration for young kids to be the best they can be at whatever they do.
“It’s all about discipline, focus and belief. Sometimes you get challenges here and there, but I say give it a try. And if you give it a try, you will never fail in life. So what I tell the younger generation, everything you do, do it with your passion, do it with discipline, because no one will force you to do it, it comes from your heart.”
Obiri’s eyes are now set on Paris 2024 to capture the one piece of hardware that has eluded her throughout her career, an Olympic Gold. But before then, she’ll look to defend her title in Boston next year.
“If I come here next year and I win this race, I will automatically be on the Olympic team, and that shows me I’m capable of winning [in Paris]. So I will come to defend my title.”
