Korir: We are ready to rally behind ‘The Beast’ Kipchoge

Cherangany Member of Parliament and Team Kenya marathoner for Rio 2016 Wesley Korir; has said they are ready to rally behind two-time London champion, Eliud ‘The Beast’ Kipchoge, in their quest to return the Olympics gold home from Brazil.

The Boston 2012 champion who will make history as the first sitting MP to compete in the Olympics marathon has scaled down on his parliamentary duties to focus on his Summer Games debut.

Saying he had realised ‘all my three big dreams before turning 35’ after being selected for Rio, Korir thanked House Speaker Justin Muturi and his constituents for giving him leave to prepare his quest to make his nation proud in Rio.

Speaking after an easy run on Wednesday in Kaptagat that saw him join Kipchoge’s Global Sports training team that also includes Olympics champion, Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich, Korir added they were ready to emulate the late Beijing 2008 winner, Samuel Wanjiru and bag the second marathon gold.

“I ran with Wanjiru before and watched his Olympics marathon victory to learn what he did right. We have everything on the right path. In the past they took the best marathon runners and did not consider some facts like the weather. This time round they have the right team.

“We have ‘The Beast’ Kipchoge, who is the race favourite and we are training together which is helping us work on our chemistry.

“I do well in hot weather and in case anything happens to him he will communicate to us and we can be able to take over from him. I believe it’s possible for us to bring home three medals from Rio,” the confident Korir told Citizen Digital.

-Pace making-

The fourth finisher at the 2016 Boston will also perform pace-making duties to his Canadian wife Tarah McKay who will represent her nation at the Olympics.

“I feel very blessed for my wife and I to be in the Olympics team. It has been our dream to both represent our countries at the Olympics. In 2012 I thought we would make it but we both failed.

“When she qualified I was very excited since our dreams came through. When she returns from Canada she will be training with me during our easy days,” the legislator added.

“Let’s get this clear I shall be training her to be the best Canadian marathoner not against Kenya,” Korir added with a chuckle.

Korir turned on those who believe his automatic selection in the Rio team was not deserved with alleged politics at play.

“In my life, I have many critics, even when I ran my first marathon in 2008 in Chicago I was told that I’m not good enough to run with the elites and I was put to run with the masses. Nobody had faith in me by then but I finished fourth.

“Again in 2012 before I won the Boston I was a nobody and I was told that there was no way I would win the Boston Marthon but I proved my critics wrong since they are there to strengthen me,” he charged.