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The two-time world champion has opted against running at the global event to fucus on her young marathon career after victory in Boston in April
Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri will skip this year’s World Championships to focus on major marathons, having claimed her first victory over the distance in April.
Obiri extended her brilliant 2023 season when she won the Great Manchester 10km run on Sunday, adding onto her Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon win in February as well as victory in Boston, when she shocked everyone to win in a personal best 2:21:38.
Her good form makes her among favourites to be included in team Kenya for the World Championships in either 10,000m or marathon but the 33-year-old has opted against squaring it out in Budapest, Hungary in August, and will instead focus on her marathon career, which is still at its infancy, with another major race planned for November or December.
“I can’t go to the World Championship because if I go, I will have to do 10,000m and I don’t have the speed to do it,” Obiri told the media when she returned to the country on Monday.
“If I say I am going for marathon at the World Championships, I don’t have experience because I have only done two marathons. So, my focus is on my next marathon not World Championships,” she added.
Obiri has been an ever-present figure at World Championships, featuring in all but one of the last six editions, while winning two gold medals, both in 5,000m, in 2017 and 2019, silver in 10,000m in 2022 as well as bronze in 1,500m in 2013.
With that experience, she would have been an ideal candidate for selectors but she is focused on her young marathon career with Boston having ben her second race over the 42km distance after a disappointing sixth place on her debut in New York last year.
She, however, still has a desire to win an Olympics gold which has been elusive for her, having managed two silver medals in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo in 5,000 with the 2024 edition firmly in her sight.
“I’m back for our local championships. I just went to the US to train and also my family is there so I train without distractions,” said Obiri.
“I will be in Paris, that will be my final Olympics gold because I have been going to the Olympics and have never won gold. So, I have the last chance in Paris.”
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