Victor Kiplangat is poised to be part of Uganda’s three-man team in the men’s marathon final at the Paris Olympics in August, barring any unexpected developments. Despite a challenging debut in the World Marathon Major (WMM), where he finished outside the top five for the first time in his career at the Tokyo Marathon, Kiplangat remains atop the qualifying list for the Olympics.
In Tokyo, Kiplangat posted a time of two hours, seven minutes, and 44 seconds, describing the last 6km as particularly tough. He attributed his performance partly to illness that disrupted his preparation leading up to the race. His coach, Addy Ruiter, emphasized the impact of the sickness and subsequent injury on his training.
Despite these setbacks, the Tokyo Marathon attracted elite runners, including Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, renowned as one of the greatest marathoners of all time. Kipchoge’s presence often raises the competitiveness of races, as seen in Tokyo where Benson Kipruto emerged victorious, setting a new course record.
Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, Kiplangat remains optimistic and encourages others to maintain courage and faith. Uganda has a historic Olympic marathon gold, won by Stephen Kiprotich in London in 2012. Kiplangat’s journey continues as he prepares for the upcoming challenge, hoping to add to his marathon achievements.
