Kipyego crossed the finish line in 2:20:38 after making his decisive move at about the 37-kilometre mark, breaking away from a four-man leading pack when the race entered its most demanding stage.
The victory earned the Kenyan $15,000, a gold medal and the honour of becoming the men’s 42km champion of the second edition of the Enugu City International Marathon.
Speaking after the race, Kipyego described the Enugu course as both demanding and beautiful, while praising the city’s enthusiastic spectators for helping him through the toughest moments of the competition.
“This was a tough but beautiful course. The hills tested us, but the people of Enugu carried us with their cheers. I will definitely return next year.”
The Kenyan’s victory came after a tactical battle involving four elite runners who stayed together deep into the race before Kipyego produced the decisive acceleration with just about five kilometres remaining.
Having conserved enough energy for the closing stages, he pulled clear of the chasing pack and maintained his advantage until he reached the finish at Michael Okpara Square.
Kipyego’s winning performance came on a route that began at 6:30 a.m. from Shoprite on Abakaliki Road, taking the athletes through several parts of Enugu before the final stretch towards Okpara Square.
The challenging nature of the course, particularly its uphill sections, tested the endurance of the elite runners, but Kipyego’s ability to respond in the closing kilometres ultimately separated him from the field.
Ethiopian runners Habtamu Girma and Shiferaw Daltiemayu finished second and third respectively, with times of 2:23:39 and 2:23:41.
For Kipyego, however, the victory was not simply about overcoming his rivals. His post-race description of Enugu revealed how the atmosphere along the route became an important part of his experience.
His words captured the essence of a race in which physical endurance met the energy of thousands of spectators who lined the streets to cheer the athletes.
“The hills tested us, but the people of Enugu carried us with their cheers.”
After conquering the hills, the heat and the competition, Kipyego left Enugu with the biggest prize of the day — the 2026 men’s 42km title — and a promise to return.
The Kenyan came to race, conquered the Coal City and left promising to come back. (Sports247)
