NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 27 – Double Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon closed down her season in style, winning the 1500m race at the invitational Athlos Athletic Meet in New York City early this morning.
Kipyegon clocked four minutes, 4.79 seconds to win the race ahead of Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji and compatriot Susan Ejore-Sanders who finished second and third respectively.
The Kenyan world record holder put on a brilliant display of speed in the final 200m, despite the weight of the season fatigue to clinch victory and in the process clinch her biggest single bag in athletics, with a USD60,000 (Sh7.7mn) reward.
Athlos NYC is the first female-only track event funded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, the husband to retired tennis star Serena Williams. The lucrative event featured 36 of the top track stars in the world in short and middle distance running.
It had one of the biggest prize purses in the history of athletics, with the winning prize double what is offered in the Diamond League.
Athletes finishing second and third place earned $25,000 (Sh3.2mn) and $10,000 (Sh1.3mn), respectively, while finishes four through six will take home $8,000 (Sh1mn), $5,000 (Sh644,000), and $2,500 (Sh322,000).
Meanwhile in the 800m, Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa finished second, clocking a minute, 58.05 seconds in a race won by Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma.
Ejore, Moraa and Kipyegon were the only Kenyan athletes who competed in the inaugural event.
