Jerop using coronavirus break to fine tune, recover from injury
Emmanuel Masinde
Former World Cross-Country junior bronze medallist Cynthia Jerop feels the postponement of the Seoul Marathon which was to take place in March, South Korea, was a blessing in disguise.
The Kapsabet-based runner says due to the cancellation occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, she will have more time to continue training and also recover properly from a tendon injury.
“My training programme so far has been going on fine despite doing little and I am confident that I will do well when competition resumes.
My goal is to get ready for competition and improve my personal best,” said Jerop.
But while she has time, Jerop says training is minimal now since she only goes for morning sessions and work on the farm thereafter.
The Hannover half marathon champion says she took athletics seriously after encouragement from her mother who was competing in races locally.
She would feature in various school competitions before she got a chance to represent the country as a junior in the 2009 World Cross-Country Championships in Jordan where she placed third.
Jerop had been training with former world half marathon record holder Peres Jepchirchir, Eindhoven Marathon winner Georgina Rono and Alice Cherono before the coronavirus made it impossible to work in groups.
She looks up to former world half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei.
“We talk on the phone most of the time. She encourages me whenever I have a race and I also do the same,” said the Kaptagat half marathon champion.
