Valentine Kipketer finished fifth in her 2016 Boston debut and is back this year for redemption. “I remember I really tried to push last year in Boston, but was not able to keep the pace until the finish line,” says Kipketer. “I want to do better this year.” Following Boston, Kipketer made the podium in Chicago, finishing 13 seconds behind Edna Kiplagat in second. After competing in track and cross country as a junior, Kipketer made her road breakthrough with a win at the Berlin Half Marathon in 1:10:12. In 2012, she made her marathon debut in Hamburg with a fifth-place finish, then won the Mumbai Marathon improving her time by over three minutes while setting a new course record. Named to her country’s IAAF World Championships Marathon team, Kipketer had a disappointing experience in Moscow and did not finish the race. Later that fall, she won the Amsterdam Marathon in a new personal best of 2:23:02. She says the Amsterdam win is the highlight of her career. Kipketer’s best half marathon is 1:08:21, earned with a win at the 2011 Lille Half Marathon.

Kipketer is coached by William Kiplagat and her brother is Gideon Kipketer, who is an elite runner and who also holds the course record at the Mumbai Marathon (2:08:35). She has one child and trains in Kapkitony, which is 90 minutes from Eldoret. “My family motivates me to train hard and stay focused for my next race,” says Kipketer.

“I remember I really tried to push last year in Boston, but was not able to keep the pace until the finish line. I want to do better this year.”