VISILINE QUEEN OF PARIS: Her name Jepkesho means born in the roof of the grass-thatched house
Athletics
By
JONATHAN KOMEN
| Apr 05, 2016
Her name may not ring a bell back home nor make heads turn at its mention. Yet Visiline Jepkesho continued Kenya's dominance on road when she clocked 2:25.52 at Paris Marathon to be eternal challengers from Ethiopia Gulume Chala and Dinknesh Tefera.
Undeterred by the level of terrorist threat in the French capital after last November's Paris attacks and the Brussels bombings, Jepkesho flew Kenya's flag amid strengthened security.
But who is this Jepkesho?
Did you know?
That Visiline returned to Paris Marathon after a podium finish last year, with a 2:24.44 personal best
She was born in Tuikoin in Trans Nzoia County in 1988 and works at the Kenya Prisons Service attached to Lang'ata West Prisons.
She trains under Italian Rosa and Associati stable and is married Abraham Lang'at.
Her manager is Federicco Rosa
She holds the 2:24.44 personal which is almost six minutes slower than Mary Keitany's personal best time currently at 2:18:37
She has won a number of races that include Darica Half Marathon (2013), Milan Marathon (2014), Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon (2015), Lisbon Marathon (2015) and podium finish in Paris Marathon in 2015.
She is coached by former athlete Gedion Chirchir while Benjamin Njoga, the principal deputy Commissioner General, is the Prisons Athletics chairman
She was in the national team at the IAAF World Championships marathon squad in Beijing where finished 22nd.
Her name Jepkesho means born in the roof of the grass-thatched house
She did not have enough time to undergo orientation after graduating from Ruiru Staff College as she had to hit the road preparing for Paris Marathon.
She joins the elite club of greats from the Kenya Prisons that include Catherine Dereba, Susan Chepkemei, three time world cross-country champion Edith Masai, who flew the Kenya flag high across the globe.