TCS NYC MARATHON

November 3, 2024

Shelia Chepkirui

Hellen Obiri

Vivian Cheruiyot

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Sheila, you were the seventh fastest all-time at the 10K. How much did you have to rely on that 10K speed over those final 800 meters coming into the park?

SHELIA CHEPKIRUI: I think what helped me throughout the last was me doing the proper training after the minute 10K. I went back home and do the proper training.

Q. Hellen, as of just a few moments ago you're the series champion for the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Second here today after a bronze performance and an incredible finish in Paris. What have these last 12 weeks been like for you?

HELLEN OBIRI: Thank you so much. For me it was a good race because doing three marathons in a year, for me I'm so happy now to finish the season. I tried to keep the pace with Sheila. It just seems like Sheila seems to be so strong. So I'd say like 600m to go, I tried to push, but the pace was too high for me, so I said, if I can finish on the podium I'll be so grateful for that. So I'm so happy.

Q. Vivian, you've had such an incredible career, but you took three years away from the sport. You've come back strong. Did you ever doubt you could come back and return to the form that you had in 2018 and 2019?

VIVIAN CHERUIYOT: I want to say that I was well prepared after I did my Paris marathon after three years without any competition, so I came here, and I know that everyone was ready to win, and I want to say that I'm so happy to be among the three finishers today. I'm so grateful.

Q. Hellen and Sheila, what were you both thinking as you're making that right turn into the park for the last sprint and you're very close together, and also, Sheila, what does it mean to you to win here at New York?

SHELIA CHEPKIRUI: Winning today means a lot to me. It means my training has been well, and I'm really happy for the win.

Q. What was going through your mind when you made that turn into the park, that last turn?

SHELIA CHEPKIRUI: The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen, and I told myself, I have to push up to the finish line.

Q. Hellen, same question for you. What was going through your mind that last turn into the park off Columbus Circle?

HELLEN OBIRI: Okay, I've raced here three times so I knew the course, and when we turned through the turn I knew it wasn't going to happen. So for me I tried to push the best. I tried to do my best. I tried to work extra hard. But it was like even on the podium it would be so great because all those ladies seems to be so strong. Sheila seems to be so pushing hard.

I tried to push and then she was over there like with me, so I said, oh, my, she seems to be so strong, so I said let me try to fight for the second place then.

Q. Hellen, we're used to seeing you win in the final miles in Boston and New York. Usually when it comes down to a kick you're very hard to beat and today you had to settle for second. What do you think was the different between those races and today?

HELLEN OBIRI: Thank you so much. I think before Boston we had a lot of time to prepare for Boston Marathon, and the last year we have a lot of time to prepare. But coming from Paris marathon, it was a short preparation, of which we say like we never did a lot of training, a lot of speed, because coming from Paris marathon, we had less than nine weeks to prepare. So I didn't have a lot of time to do a lot of speed, so we concentrated to get health and to come here fit. So for me, I never did anything like so crazy with my training for speed.

Q. Obviously in the recent years the women's times are getting faster and faster, obviously, with a 2:09, first 2:10 performance this year. Obviously the New York City Marathon course is a lot more difficult than either Chicago or Berlin or London. But do you think the nature of this course makes you approach it more as a not go out as fast but wait until the later stages and then have it become a kicker's race simply because the course is more challenging? Sheila, in your four marathons, your three before this, you'd never run any slower than 2:19:31. You had to run almost five minutes slower to win today. How does the difference in strategy change your approach? How does the course difference change your approach to a race?

SHELIA CHEPKIRUI: Thank you so much. New York is a bit challenging. It's uphill, downhill, not like London or Berlin.

New York needs a lot of strength, not like Berlin and London. So here it's not about time. Here it's about winning.

Q. Vivian, does the course being more difficult, less fast, change how you race?

VIVIAN CHERUIYOT: I want to say that New York Marathon is a little bit difficult. For me, I prepared well because I did it in 2019, and I was not -- I was familiar with the course. I want to say that it's not like London and the other marathon major races. It's good also because to have a flat course and a hilly course, it's okay for us.

Q. Sheila, Hellen Obiri is not just a great athlete, she's a legend. She's won world cross country, World Enduro, world championships on the track, Boston, New York. When you were running side by side with her in the last two kilometers, what were you thinking that this woman next to me is one of the greatest of all time? What can I do to beat her? What were you thinking?

SHELIA CHEPKIRUI: Thank you so much. I knew Hellen was strong, so what was in my mind, I said to myself, let me push. In the last mile, I said to myself, let me give it my best. When we were around 600 meters to go, I said to myself, I have to push harder. When I saw Hellen in 400 meters to go she was not coming, and then I knew I'm going to win it, and I'm so happy.

Q. Sheila, I think they mentioned on the broadcast that you had a coaching change recently. I was wondering if you could discuss that. Did you change coaches, and if so, to whom and why?

SHELIA CHEPKIRUI: No, for me I haven't changed coach.

Q. Vivian, how have you changed your training or have you done any changes now that you're in your 40s and running?

VIVIAN CHERUIYOT: I want to say that I've not changed any program or training. I'm doing all the same. It's only that everything, you have to work hard, you have to have the strength. You have to be focused. The training, it's the same. That is what I've been using for a long time.

Q. Vivian, I think most people here don't know that when you first came to New York to run a race, you ran the half marathon. It was a very cold day and you got very cold and you didn't finish the race and you spent the day in the hospital. When you got out there today, were you thinking about that experience that you had before because today was also a cold day? Were you worried that it might be too cold for you today?

VIVIAN CHERUIYOT: I want to say that when I was here in 2019 for half marathon, it was really cold, and when I was doing my training the other day here in Central Park, I still remember where I stopped and finally put myself in the hospital.

Today the weather was good and at least it was not that bad. I think the weather was really freezing from the starting point, but when the race started, everything was okay.

I want to say I'm so happy. I'm so happy, and I hope to be back next year.