OTC Elite’s Kipyego set for U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

By Curtis Anderson | Feb 26, 2020

EUGENE, Ore. – When Sally Kipyego steps to the starting line at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta on Saturday, it will be nothing less than a dream come true.

The 34-year-old Kipyego, now in her 11th season with Oregon Track Club Elite, is absolutely thrilled to be able to compete to represent Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “I have been in this country for 15 years, and I always knew I wanted to be an American; knowing how long the process takes makes it even more precious. I hope I can do well and show how grateful I am for all of the opportunities that this great nation has afforded my family and me.”

Born and raised in Kenya, Kipyego arrived in the U.S. in 2005, and quickly established herself as a dominant runner on the collegiate cross country scene, ultimately graduating from Texas Tech University with a nursing degree and a record-tying nine NCAA individual titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track.

At that point, Kipyego put her nursing career on hold, and took a leap of faith by moving to TrackTown USA to begin training under OTC Elite coach Mark Rowland.

It was a good match.

Kipyego went on to win the silver medal for Kenya in the 10,000 meters at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, followed by a silver medal in the 10,000m and a fourth-place finish in the 5,000m at the 2012 London Olympics. She took fifth in the 10,000m at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing before shifting her focus to the marathon and motherhood. She became a U.S. citizen in 2017.

On Saturday, among the cheering throngs on the sidelines of the hilly 26.2- mile course, will be Kipyego’s husband, Kevin Chelimo, and their 2-year-old daughter, Emma. Kipyego arrived in Atlanta several days ago to acclimate after several weeks of altitude training in Kenya.

“I’ve been able to do marathon specific training for the last 12 weeks,” Kipyego said. “I’m very happy with how we’ve been able to put together everything we set out to do at the beginning of the season … and having Kevin and Emma here with me is extra motivation, knowing they will support me all the way.”

Kipyego comes into the race with a limited marathon resume, especially when compared to many of the more than 500 women expected to compete in the Trials, and she admits it has been a mixed bag of results.

She was unable to finish her marathon debut in 2015 in New York City, but came back strong to place second overall at the 2016 NYC Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes, 1 second. Similarly, she dropped out of the 2019 Boston Marathon, but five months later, she was seventh at the Berlin Marathon with a personal best of 2:25:10.

“I have done well and not so well in the marathon,” she said. “(What I have learned) is an understanding that the marathon is all about managing your energy for the entire 26.2 miles. I will simply try to remember to run within myself … try to stick to the plan and be patient because a lot can happen in a marathon.”

Kipyego, who currently stands 11th on the all-time U.S. women’s marathon performer list, is eager to test herself against the deep and talented field of U.S. Olympic marathon qualifiers.

“There are a lot of women running so well right now,” she said. “When competing against great athletes, one has to bring their best game on the day. That’s what I intend to do on Saturday.”