Beatrice Chebet: “The most important thing is to be as good as you can be as an athlete”

The best runner in history, Beatrice Chebetvisited Barcelona for the second year in a row to beat the 5km world record in Cursa dels Nassos and leave it at 13’54. No woman has ever been under the 14 minute barrier and she did it. He was also the first to break the barrier of 29 minutes at 10,000 meters. Two victories of an amazing 2024 season in which he also won two Olympic golds Paris 2024 in 5,000m and 10,000m, the world cross country title and the Diamond League. World of Sports He had the opportunity to chat and train with him for 7km along the coast of Barcelona to get to know him in depth and learn the keys to his success.

Is he always smiling like that?

i am happy Every day I run is a blessing. I feel lucky

And one more thing, he does it very well

Yes, during my school years I started to stand up and they saw that I was good at it, but I had to work hard to get to where I am today.

Did you have to make a lot of sacrifices?

Of course. I had to be away from my family and friends and make a lot of effort. Climbing to the top is not easy, but if it’s your dream, you have to work hard to achieve it.

And what did he dream about?

Seeing the exploits of great champions like Hellen Obiri or Vivian Cheruiyot inspired me to want to be like them.

Good thing he achieved it

Do you know how? Dreams are like stars, you may not be able to touch them, but if you follow them they will guide you to your destiny.

Is that the basis for being a great champion?

The most important thing is to be as good as you can be as an athlete.

What does it refer to?

God always remembers grateful people, that is very important. Always remember where you came from and who supported you. I am clearly able to make it this far thanks to the support of my coaches and teammates.

Is athletics not as individual a sport as it seems?

It is important to practice in a group. During practice, we challenge each other in each set and help each other improve. In Kenya, we always support each other. That person will remember that you helped them one day and be there to return your support when you need it.

That’s teamwork

Have you ever noticed how we celebrate our successes? Let’s hold the Kenyan flag and take the lap of honor with our colleagues who did not win. They were the first to come to celebrate because they knew our successes were theirs too. We win together. Teamwork is everything. I want everyone to be successful and I want others to be successful too.

In this way, it seems like an easy path.

In reality, it is not much. Sometimes you think that you have trained very hard and many kilometers and the expected result did not come. This is how I felt before the Tokyo 2020 Games, when I didn’t qualify. And you know what? I did not lose hope. I continued to work hard and in the following Games I achieved two gold medals.

And he also achieved the 5km world record in Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​​​​on asphalt, and two world cross country titles.

Yes, I am a very versatile runner.

And which of these three surfaces is your favorite?

Cross country is the hardest running surface and I have mastered it very well, but my favorite competition is track. When we were little and we dreamed of being great champions, we always had in mind to succeed on the court, on the big stages, and that was my main dream.

She was the first woman in history to go over 29 minutes in the 10,000m and under 14 minutes in the 5km. You have taken your body further than anyone has done before. What does it feel like to achieve this?

In racing, nothing. Pull with all your strength knowing that there are obstacles to overcome. Of course, two days later everything comes out. After the 10,000m record I felt a general exhaustion of my body. And I had a lot of pain in my legs.

And is there a limit?

I see no limit. I don’t know what record is impossible to beat. I work every day to improve myself and I will continue until there is nothing left to give.

This is your everyday

Beatrice Chebet He said he trains in Iten, in the Kenyan Rift Valley, at an altitude of 2,400 meters above sea level. A week he usually makes the volume of the interval 190 and 220 kilometers and also gives great importance to the work of strength and mobility “every day”. Nor is recovery “the key to everything” forgotten, because they sleep for hours in search of ‘reparative sleep’ that regenerates their muscle tissues. On a normal day he usually gets up at 5h in the morning to complete the first running session at 6am, which on the longest day can be 25km, always with a good mobility and technique warm-up. When they finished, around 10am, the gym session for an hour, where they don’t work specifically on machines, but with strength and mobility exercises. Then, it’s time for food and a short break to prepare for second running session which will arrive at 4pm. “When we are in track competition season, we add work on Iten synthetic every Tuesday at 6 am or 9 am, depending on the schedule set by the coach. A trainer who in his case is also his wife, Peter Biithat accompanies him everywhere, also in Barcelona