Joyce Chepkirui finished third at Boston last year after leading for most of the closing miles. She followed Boston with a fourth-place finish in New York City. In 2015 she finished tenth in Boston, won the Amsterdam Marathon in a personal best 2:24:11 and then won the Honolulu Marathon. A half marathon specialist, Chepkirui has run under 1:10:00 eleven times in her career, including a 1:07:41 runner-up position at the 2016 New York City Half Marathon. Her personal best of 1:06:19 was earned with a win in Prague in 2014. Highlights of her track career include winning the 2015 Nairobi Kenyan Championships 10,000m; the 2014 Marrakesh African Championships 10,000m; and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 10,000m. At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Chepkirui represented Kenya in the 10,000m, but did not finish due to injury.

Chepkirui lives and trains in Iten and enjoys running long distances on the hilly, dirt-packed roads in the area, as well as working out at Lornah Kiplagat’s training center. She has a small farm and keeps cows, rabbits, sheep, and chickens. With her prize earnings, Chepkirui has built much needed housing for her village. Her favorite foods are chapatti with chicken, ugali and vegetables, and milk. Geoffrey Mutai, the 2011 Boston Marathon champion, is Chepkirui’s first cousin. Looking forward to her third Boston, Chepkirui says, “Achieving top-level running results doesn’t exist without sacrifice and hard work. Glory is only reached through hard training, commitment, and patience, and this is how I will win the Boston Marathon one day.”

“Boston to me feels like a city that is different than other cities. To #BeBoston is about being tough, hardworking and true to oneself.”