Patrick Sang on Why Faith Kipyegon Needs More Time Before a Marathon Debut, Unlike Eliud Kipchoge

Patrick Sang has explained why transitioning Faith Kipyegon from track to road running could take longer than many expect, noting that the process is not as straightforward as it was for Eliud Kipchoge.

The veteran coach acknowledged Faith Kipyegon's ambition to eventually compete in the marathon after dominating the 1500m and 5000m, where she has amassed four world titles, three Olympic golds, a world record, and multiple medals at global championships.

Although the 31-year-old has repeatedly expressed her desire to move up in distance, Patrick Sang outlined that such a shift demands careful, gradual preparation.

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Patrick Sang said that an athlete’s move, in this case Faith Kipyegon, from the track to road racing and eventually the marathon relies mainly on how they think about the challenge, rather than on a coach’s personal plans.

The veteran coach pointed out that a flexible attitude opens the door for testing new possibilities and learning along the way.

Patrick Sang added that, with Faith Kipyegon, he had already begun trying out different training approaches at the start of the season to understand the indicators and determine whether she is genuinely ready to shift toward longer distances.

“The way I look at the transition for any athlete, even for Eliud, when he transitioned from track to road running and marathon, eventually, is how their mindset is. It's not what I want for them. It's the mindset,” Patrick Sang said in an interview with Citius Mag.

“And that mindset gives you room to experiment, and when the mindset is flexible towards a certain direction. So, I started experimenting at the beginning of the season to see what the parameters are telling me they are likely to go that direction.”

Patrick Sang recalled that, in Eliud Kipchoge’s case, the switch to the marathon began almost accidentally, after an injury kept him out of the London Olympic Games.

Since Eliud Kipchoge had already achieved so much on the track, the team decided to explore a new path and simply see what would happen.

He said Faith Kipyegon’s situation is very different because she is globally recognised for excelling in the 1500m and has already expressed a clear desire to move up in distance.

Patrick Sang added that any decision for Faith Kipyegon would involve wider consultations than it did for Eliud Kipchoge, as they must consider the views of her support team and partners, along with her own ambitions.

Eliud Kipchoge explained that his role is to bring all those perspectives together and guide the process as carefully as possible.

“Like in the case of Eliud, we didn't know anything. So, like the guy could not make the London Olympic Games team, just because of a hamstring, then we said, ‘What is there, you've achieved everything, so why don't we try?’,” Eliud Kipchoge said.

“So, it was more like trying in the case of Faith, she's already shown the indication that I want to go there, so now the case of Faith is totally different because Faith is known for 1500.

“The consultation would be even broader than when it was the case of Eliud, because now you have to look at who is behind Faith in terms of the partnership and what they think. What is their thinking? What is faith thinking? Now, as a coach, you find your way of marrying all these things and going on the journey.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding when that move will happen, Patrick Sang remains confident that, once the right conditions align and a consensus is reached, Faith Kipyegon has the talent, discipline and mindset to eventually succeed on the roads.

For now, the focus is on respecting the process, an approach Patrick Sang believes will give Faith Kipyegon the best possible chance of writing a new chapter in her already historic career.