How moving to the US helped marathon champion Hellen Obiri achieve two dreams at once

By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Even as one of the best athletes in the world, Hellen Obiri says she’ll still be nervous lining up at the start of this weekend’s London Marathon. It’s incredible, though, that the Kenyan would have any doubts at all.

After all, the 36-year-old is a double world champion in the 5000m, a three-time Olympic medalist and a winner of four major marathons since transitioning to the longer distance.

But the weight of expectation clearly impacts even those who appear superhuman from the outside.

“I do get nervous because sometimes you get to the start and see that this runner is here and that runner is there,” she told CNN Sports.

“Millions of people are also going to watch you and you have all your fans. If you see social media before the race, there’s sometimes a lot of people … saying she’s tired, she needs to retire.

“So things like that get you nervous, like, ‘How am I gonna do?’”

However, after years of experience on the global stage, Obiri has learned how to handle the pressure. The 36-year-old simply waits for that starting gun. Once racing, she’s back in her happy place.

“You have done a lot of work. You already know how your body is and you are prepared,” she said, reflecting on how she stays calm during races.

“I just need to concentrate on what I’m going to do, and I need to focus.”

Humble beginnings

Obiri’s journey to becoming a marathon champion is a compelling one, and one that saw her move from Kenya to the US in 2022 in the pursuit of greatness.

And, since setting her sights on the marathon distance, the Kenyan has won twice in Boston and twice in New York, with another victory in London now firmly on her agenda.

But while her career has taken her to the other side of the world in search of glory, her story has its roots firmly planted in her home nation.

Obiri started running back in elementary school, falling in love with the way it made her feel. At the time, the community she grew up in didn’t really cater to sports, and she initially struggled to find a mentor or a coach who could match her running ambitions.

Those frustrations were eased when she went to high school in the nearby capital city of Nairobi, where a young Obiri began experimenting with track and field.

“It opened the door to know much about sports,” she said.

At first, the youngster ran shorter distances, mainly 200m and 400m, while also dipping her toe into the triple jump (disciplines that now look a million miles away from her current distance).

But while her talent was clear, she laughs when looking back at how her love for running became a bone of contention in her family, with her parents initially split in their support.

At first, her mom didn’t fully understand the doors that track and field could open, so it was Obiri’s father who gave his backing first, urging her to train before doing any of her other household tasks.

It wasn’t until Obiri started winning races and appearing in the local newspaper that both her parents started encouraging her to pursue a running career.

Both her parents watched her win gold at last year’s New York marathon, hugging their daughter as she crossed the finish line.

“My dad used to wake me up at around 5:30 in the morning and tell me to go outside and run,” she said, when asked about how her childhood shaped her career.

Marathon ambitions

Then, in 2011, when she was over 20, Obiri started experimenting with longer distances. On the track, she progressed to the 800m and 1500m, while integrating herself into a cross-country community that was booming in the city.

Even back then, though, Obiri had marathon ambitions and slowly worked her way up the distances during her career, winning multiple indoor, outdoor and cross-country medals along the way.

Then, in 2022, she was offered an opportunity she couldn’t turn down. She accepted an invitation to join On Athletics Club (OAC), an elite team of athletes based in Boulder, Colorado, led by former distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein.

It allowed her to achieve not one, but two dreams at once – to train for the marathon and move to the US.

Boulder’s high-altitude, rolling trails and temperate climate made it an ideal location for distance runners and Obiri has enjoyed learning a new discipline.

Recovery, she insists, is the secret to her success. Obiri can sleep as much as 14 hours per day, including six hours worth of naps between sessions.

But the move to the US also proved to be a major culture shock at the start.

But, supported by a new group of training partners from around the world, she quickly learned the ropes, notably learning how important a car is for American life and how the whole country shuts down for Thanksgiving.

Obiri’s adjudsement was made even easier after she was joined by her husband and young daughter shortly after she made the move herself.

“My dream was one day I was gonna live in America with my family. So when On stepped in … I said ‘Oh my goodness, this is what I’ve been looking for,’” she said.

“It was so good to interact with friends, to make American friends. But the most important thing was to make American food,” she added, settling on tacos as her new favorite meal.

“Honestly, it helped me a lot to understand how people live … coming from Africa and seeing another side of the world. That was a great opportunity for me.”

Her move to the US has clearly worked – Obiri has taken the marathon world by storm. Now, she has her eyes on success in London and the world will be no doubt be watching.

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