Clash of the Champions: Kipsang vs Kimetto – 10 things You Didn’t Know

Published by Virgin Money London Marathon on February 24, 2015

They are all set to battle it out on the streets of London in April, but there is more to these Kenyan superstar runners than just pounding the streets over 26.2 miles. We caught up with both world-record holder Dennis Kimetto and reigning London champion (and course-record holder) Wilson Kipsang to find out more about their lives.

Five things you didn’t know about Dennis Kimetto

1. He used to work as a farmer

Before becoming a world-beating marathon runner, 31-year-old Kimetto worked on his parent’s farm. He told the Virgin Money London Marathon: “Most Kenyan boys do work for their parents. It was good and I really like farming. Sometimes I miss it, but I hope to be a farmer again one day.”

Five things you didn’t know about Wilson Kipsang

1. He’s a former policeman

“It is always difficult for policemen to accept defeat. I think it is how we are trained. We have that passion to do things,” the reigning Virgin Money London Marathon champion once said. He represented Kenya Police when he first began competitive running. After serving for three years he made the transition to professional athlete.