Live from Kenya with Marathon Champ Sharon Lokedi

In this special episode of Set the Pace Rob sits down with Sharon Lokedi, TCS New York City Marathon champion, at her mother’s home in Eldoret, Kenya. Lokedi reflects on her journey from training on Kenya’s red clay roads to winning major marathons, and what it means to inspire other Kenyan runners. She shares how Kenya’s deep-rooted running culture fuels her motivation as she prepares to defend her titles at the United Airlines NYC Half in March and the Boston Marathon in April. Lokedi also speaks candidly about competition, pressure, and using her platform to support organizations addressing gender-based violence, including Tirop’s Angels, an organization created by friends and family of Agnes Tirop, who was killed in Kenya just weeks after breaking the 10K road running world record in 2021.

Listen to past episodes:
Spotify: bit.ly/474e5Wa
Apple Music: apple.co/3IKaKSb
iHeart: ihr.fm/44L0zp3

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by guests on the podcast are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement by NYRR of them or their views.

0:00 – Welcoming NYRR to Kenya
1:49 – The Running Culture in Eldoret
3:42 – Why Kenya Produces Champions
5:04 – Inspiring the Next Generation
6:31 – How Running Changed Sharon Lokedi Family’s Life
8:03 – Supporting Women Through Tirop’s Angels
10:41 – Defending Her Boston Title
13:29 – Why Kenyans Win So Much
15:24 – The Mental Battle of Defending
17:30 – Racing Without Her Rival
18:26 – United Airlines NYC Half Prep
20:25 – Back to Boston
22:36 – Closing Reflections

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