This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
On April 26, 2020, the London Marathon was postponed from its original date in April to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing a significant blow to Vincent Kipchumba's training plans.
Kipchumba, the reigning Amsterdam Marathon champion, had been training in Kapsabet, Nandi County under the watchful eye of his coach Claudio Berardelli.
"It was also going to give me a chance to make some money. When I heard it was postponed I felt traumatised," Kipchumba said in an interview.
Despite the setback, Kipchumba remains optimistic about his chances in the London Marathon, where he will compete against some of the world's best athletes, including Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele.
"Competing with the world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Berlin Marathon champion Kenenisa Bekele is something I even didn’t think will be possible but here we are waiting for the big day," Kipchumba said.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted Kipchumba's training schedule, forcing him to adapt to a new routine.
"Life has changed and I miss my training mates who have been supportive in my career. We have always trained as a team so it feels eerie finding yourself training alone, doing your long runs alone, but we have to adapt to the situation now," Kipchumba said.
