This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
March 26, 2016, marked a historic day for Kenyan athletics as Peres Jepchirchir won the Women's Elite 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Wales.
Fast forward to the present, Jepchirchir has called on athletes to think outside the box and focus on virtual races due to government-imposed restrictions.
According to Jepchirchir, athletes can still participate in virtual races at their convenience and have their times matched to determine the winner.
This innovative approach was pioneered by Winnie Kosgei, who successfully completed a competitive virtual race, the Ottawa 10km road race in Eldoret on Tuesday.
Rules for virtual races include maintaining social distance and following normal regulations used in road racing.
Canada's Brandon Toal topped the overall standings with a time of 33:40, while Stephan Struve came in third with a time of 39:32.
Another high-profile virtual race, dubbed 'Impossible Games', is set to take place in Nairobi and Oslo simultaneously, featuring Team Cheruiyot and Team Ingebrigtsen.
Team Cheruiyot aims to complete the 2,000m race in under 4:50, while Team Ingebrigtsen will have an advantage due to the difference in altitude between Nairobi and Oslo.
Additionally, a virtual team relay marathon will see marathon icons Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele team up with Joshua Cheptegei and Geoffrey Kamworor to complete a full marathon between June 6 and 7.
