Boston Marathon: Hellen Obiri eyes the feat of Fatuma Roba, Gibb, Berman and Pippig by making it a hat trick

Athletics superstar Hellen Obiri has intensified her training in Kenya as she eyes the Boston Marathon title for the third time running.

Two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri is ramping up her preparations ahead of her title defence at the Boston Marathon scheduled for Monday, April 21.

Obiri will be looking to etch her name in the annals of history when she goes after her third Boston Marathon title after dominating the 2023 and 2024 editions of the race.

Only four women have managed this feat and Hellen Obiri wants to be the fifth. Only Bobbi Gibb (USA), Sara Mae Berman (USA), Uta Pippig (Germany) and Fatuma Roba (Ethiopia) have managed a rare hat trick at the Boston Marathon.

“So far, so good, my preparation has been well. I have not encountered any challenges and as we can see, the days are going by so fast. I can’t say I’m 100% ready, for me, I can say I’m 70% ready,” Hellen Obiri said in an interview with KTN.

“I decided to come to Kenya because when we look at the conditions right now, it’s very cold and there is a lot of snow so you can’t train so well and sometimes you are forced to skip the training.”

She opted to travel back to Kenya for training purposes because of the snow, and she noted that so far, things are working out well.

Obiri added that spending time with her training mates and having to train on a course similar to the one in Boston is a plus.

“Being here is a great opportunity in terms of my training mates and the roads where I’m training from are like the Boston course. They are helping a lot,” Hellen Obiri said.

“So many people are watching me and wondering whether I can defend my title and I must admit I have the pressure. We have many elite athletes there, Kenyans and Ethiopians and anything can happen.”

She has sweet memories of the Boston Marathon course since it was where she won her first title as a full marathon runner in 2023.

She made her debut in 2022, competing at the New York City Marathon where she finished sixth before throwing down the gauntlet in 2023.

The Olympic marathon bronze medallist claimed top honours in the New York City marathon the same year before defending her title in Boston early last year.

Obiri went on to claim the bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games and rounded up her season with a second-place finish at the New York City Marathon