Kenyan marathoner Benson Kipruto is confident he will bag a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Fresh from winning the Tokyo Marathon in an impressive time of 2:02.16, Kipruto is determined to shed off his 'dark horse' tag and establish himself as a formidable contender for the marathon title on his Olympics debut.

Kipruto, who hails from Tolilet in Mosop, Nandi County, has a commendable track record with victories at the 2021 Boston Marathon and the 2022 Chicago Marathon.

He believes these experiences have prepared him well for the challenge ahead in Paris.

“Making the team to Paris is a dream come true. The Paris Olympics marathon will be a tactical race because it is a championship event. I have run in similar events like Boston, which don’t use pacemakers, and we need to execute the tactics to perfection. I bet on a Kenya 1-2-3 finish,” said a confident Kipruto.

Kipruto's recent performance at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, where he finished second behind record-breaker Kelvin Kiptum, has been a significant boost to his confidence.

The race not only sharpened his competitive edge but also saw him register a world-leading marathon time this year.

“Racing with the late Kiptum in the Chicago Marathon really propelled my self-belief because it was my first race at a world record pace. I eventually finished second behind the winner, who shattered the world record. The race gave me the morale to run a personal best, winning the Tokyo marathon, and that is the confidence I carry into Paris,” he asserted.

At 33-years-old, Kipruto has consistently achieved personal bests in most of the marathons he has participated in, securing top positions in various competitions. His hard work began to pay off in 2016 when he finished second at the Athens Classic Marathon in a remarkable time of 2:13.24.

Continuing his impressive performance, Kipruto finished fourth at the 2017 Praha Marathon, clocking 2:09.51. He also claimed second place at the 2017 Gongju Dong-A Marathon, completing the race in 2:07.21.

Kipruto went on to win the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a time of 2:07.24 and the 2021 Prague Marathon in 2:10:16.

In 2021, he triumphed at the 125th Boston Marathon and the 2022 Chicago Marathon, clocking 2:09.51 and 2:04.24, respectively. Last year, he secured silver and bronze, placing third in Boston with a time of 2:06.06 and second in Chicago in 2:04.02.

With such a robust resume and unwavering determination, Benson Kipruto is set to make a significant impact at the Paris Olympic Games, aiming to turn his 'dark horse' label into a golden victory.