Olympic and world champion Vivian Cheruiyot has revealed plans to quit the track and head to road running and marathons.
Cheruiyot was named the best female athlete of 2016 at the Athletics Kenya Golden Gala, where she announced the award as her last in the 5000m and
10,000m races, where she has been a figure to reckon with for over a decade and a half.
She was crowned alongside Olympic Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge who bagged the top male award at the colourful event held on Wednesday night.
“Getting this award is a great achievement. It comes at a time when I have decided to move away from the track,” said Cheruiyot.
“I have already run one half marathon in Manchester and will now be moving to a marathon next year. I have not cemented on any but my target is April.”
She added: “Rio was my fourth Olympics and it is only there that I managed to win a gold medal. After losing the 10,000m to Ayana, I asked myself, what is it that I am doing wrong? I went ahead and challenged myself to take her head on in the 5,000m and I successfully did it.”
Kipchoge was bouyant after bagging two awards, the male athlete of the year while retaining the road running title he won last year. “I feel really honoured by this award. It is a motivation to the young athletes to never give up,” said Kipchoge.
“I have been running for 13 years and I have never walked up to a Kenyan stage to pick up this award. To be crowned here today feels great. Hard work and belief has paid off,” he added.
Kipchoge said the award was primarily sweet since it came after winning the Olympic gold medal, Kenya’s second and first since 2008 in August, as well as the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), best marathon runner award for the second time in October. Kichoge observed that he will be hoping to have another successful year in 2017 but reckoned it will not be easy. “All eyes will be on me as people watch whether I can repeat what I have done this year,” said Kipchoge.
Winners: Athlete of the Year— Male: Eliud Kipchoge, Female: Vivian Cheruiyot; Young Athlete of the Year— Male: Kipyegon Bett (800m), Female: Cellphine Chespol (3,000m SC); Sprints Athlete of the Year—Male: Boniface Mucheru (400m-H), Female: Maureen Jelagat (400m); Middle Distance Athlete of the Year—Male: David Rudisha (800m),Female-Faith Chepng’etich (1,500m); Long Distance Athlete of the Year: Male: Conseslus Kipruto (3,000m SC), Female: Vivian Cheruiyot (10,000m); Field Athlete of the Year: Julius Yego (Javelin); Road Running Athlete the Year: Male—Eliuld Kipchoge (Marathon), Female: Jemimah Sumgong (Marathon); Comeback Athlete the Year: Abel Kirui (Marathon); Coach of the Year: Julius Kirwa (Rio Olympics).