For most elite middle-distance runners, retirement usually comes after a smooth transition to longer distances, sometimes ending in a marathon. 

History knows well the likes of Hellen Obiri and Eliud Kipchoge, who transitioned from middle distance to become some of the greatest marathoners.

However, for 800m icon Janeth Jepkosgei, life after competitive athletics took a different route. Unlike other athletes, her life is now grounded in mentorship, sacrifice, and legacy. She seems destined for an even more illustrious ending.

The trailblazer became Kenya’s first female world champion over 800m in 2007. 

Jepkosgei’s retirement

She had just returned from her fourth World Athletics Championships in Beijing in 2015 and had her eyes firmly set on Rio 2016, her third Olympics. 

Her goal was finally winning an Olympic gold medal to complement the silver medal she won in Beijing in 2008.

But sport, ever so ruthless, had other plans. 

At the World Championships, ironically, on the same track where she once sparkled, Jepkosgei failed to make it out of the heats. 

Lingering pain in her leg had become unbearable, and the dream of Olympic redemption faded quietly.

Rather than attempt a full return, she briefly considered competing over 1500m or even 5000m before turning her full focus to a training camp she had established while still an active athlete. 

It was here that she found new purpose, mentoring more than 80 junior athletes from primary and high schools during school holidays.

"It was not a tough decision because I was not stepping out of athletics completely. I would still wake up in the morning, go to the track, give programs… I was inside, but it was different,” she told SportsBoom.com. 

Now 40, the mother, coach, and teacher juggles many roles in the camp.

Move to change nationality

Few know how close Kenya came to losing one of its brightest stars. 

In 2005, frustrated after repeatedly being overlooked for global championships despite winning national trials, Jepkosgei nearly changed allegiance to Bahrain. 

She had the paperwork, and the financial package was ready. 

But a heartfelt conversation with the late Athletics Kenya president Isaiah Kiplagat changed everything.

“He told me I would make the team the following year. And true to his word, I did,” she recalled.

Following that, she was selected for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, where she stunned the competition, claiming gold and defeating Mozambique’s formidable Maria Mutola.

Passing the Baton

Today, her training camp boasts promising talents like Maureen Chepkirui in the 800m and Anthony Kibet in the 1500m and 5000m. But Jepkosgei’s impact goes far beyond times and distances.

"I love seeing people who run well from the start to the end of the season. That’s discipline. The 800m is a sprint event now, you need speed and endurance,” she averred.

She is also keenly aware of gaps in the long-distance pipeline, worried that the country might lose its spark in long-distance if appropriate measures are not taken now.

“If we do not manage it now, it’s going to be a problem in the future,” she urged.

The discovery of Emmanuel Wanyonyi

Jepkosgei also shared how she came to mentor one of the world’s best 800m athletes, Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

She has witnessed Wanyonyi’s meteoric rise, which she says brings her immense pride.

She first met Wanyonyi by chance at Mosoriot Teachers College during a county athletics competition. 

She was drawn to the event by the sound of cheering, and went in, curious to see if any of the young athletes she trained had progressed to the county level.

She went in just in time for the men's 800m race. On the grassy track, there was a determined young runner who immediately caught her attention.

"I saw Wanyonyi running on the grass, his body, how determined he was. I told one of the girls to accompany me to learn more about him, where he trains, school, coach, etc. He was very free and told me he was in Kosirai Secondary School and trains there," Jepkosgei said.

Recognizing his potential, she invited Wanyonyi to train at her camp once the school term ended. 

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, disrupting the competition schedule and forcing schools to close as Wanyonyi was preparing to compete at the regional level.

She was determined not to lose touch and contacted a teacher from Kosirai who linked her to Wanyonyi’s guardian, eventually arranging for the young athlete to join her camp during the lockdown.

Jepkosgei then introduced him to her coach, Claudio Berardelli, marking the start of an intense training regime that would propel him onto the global stage.

In 2021, Wanyonyi stormed to gold at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi. He has now risen to become the world’s fastest man over 800m. He is the reigning Olympic 800m champion after clocking a jaw-dropping 1:41.19 in Paris last year. 

“I’ve been to his home. I know his tough background. He’s a humble, good boy,” Jepkosgei says proudly.

Wanyonyi has not only transformed his own life but also the lives of his family members. Using his earnings, he built a new home for his mother and ensured his younger siblings could pursue education and fulfil dreams he once thought were beyond reach.