Beatrice Chebet, who created history with another distance double at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, on the secret of success, a future move to the marathon and not letting the doubters “ruin” her.

Beatrice Chebet is firmly establishing herself as the one to beat when it comes to women’s distance running on the track. One year on from winning 5000m and 10,000m gold at the Paris Olympics, in Tokyo she became only the third woman in history to complete that double at a world championships. In both races, she employed a devastating closing kick to leave her rivals trailing in her wake.

Chebet now holds both Olympic and world 5000m and 10,000m titles, along with the world cross country title, world road 5km title and world records at 5000m, 10,000m and the 5km. However, as she sat down with AW in Japan on the day after her win in the 25-lap event, the 25-year-old made it clear that her work is far from done.

How proud are you of what you’ve achieved this year?

I'm so so proud of myself. After winning the Olympics I got so much motivation and encouragement. I still have more room to achieve a lot and I still have an opportunity to do more and better. I think by believing in myself, being focused and doing the right thing, you automatically achieve what you want and when you want something, you go for it.

One of the features about your performances is the big range that you have – whether it's 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m or cross country. How do you go about being able to tackle so many different events?

During cross country, I just focus on cross country. During the track season, I just focus on track. During the preparation towards the 1500m in Silesia [Chebet ran a personal best of 3:54.73 to finish second at the Diamond League meeting this season], I just said: ‘I want to try to run a sub four’, so I know that when you just adjust your mind and focus to one thing in the moment, you will achieve.

After securing golds in cross country, world championships, Olympics, road running, I realised that I'm capable of doing anything. I have set my mind that: “In future, I'm going to run well on the roads, in the marathon”, so I still need to be focused in my life. I know by going to the roads that I'll achieve more.

How soon do you think that move to the marathon might be?

Maybe after the Los Angeles Olympics [in 2028]. I still need to get more gold medals on the track at the Olympics, more at the world championships in 2027, so I'm not yet done. I still have room to do more on the track and make history.

We’ve seen at these championships how strong a finishing kick you have. How much work goes into perfecting that and making it such a weapon?

I put a lot of work in in training. When I come to the championships, I don't want to struggle much. In a competition, you have to calculate to know you need to have a kick, you need to have that energy to keep going. What matters is speed. While I'm doing my workouts, I don't forget to do 200s. I always include 200s and 400s.

You are good friends with Faith Kipyegon. You have raced each other on the track and now you are both talking about a move to the marathon. How much do you play off each other?

Competing with Faith is really nice because, while I was running as a junior, I used to watch her running at a senior level. Getting an opportunity to race with her in the same event for me… last year in Paris, after winning the 5000m I was like: “You can defeat a champion. Beatrice, you are strong”. That's where I came to realise that I'm a good athlete, so I can give myself credit. As for coming to the roads with Faith, the future will tell.

Is that 5000m in Paris the race that changed everything for you? The race that changed your mindset and gave you belief?

Yes. My coach was like: “You know, you are strong. I've seen your training. You are capable of winning the 5000m” but I was like: “No way. I cannot go beyond Faith”. But, after winning, I was like: “Oh, it’s true. Anyone can win”.

You mentioned Faith was your role model. How much do you like being a role model now and people looking to you as an example?

Being a role model, you have to have self-discipline, you have to be someone who doesn’t take shortcuts and in running you have to work smart, work for it, and you will automatically achieve. I know I need to be in a good position, in a good way, because I know many people are looking at me and want to follow in my footsteps. What I can say is just to stay in a good lane.

Does the number of Kenyan athletes testing positive for doping at the moment frustrate you and concern you?

Yes, it affects a lot, because when you find yourself running well, and maybe you break a world record, people will not believe in you. They are like: “If many athletes of Kenya are being caught doping, then what about her? Or what about him, running a world record? Surely he will be caught soon”.

That thing of not getting belief from people can sometimes ruin you, but when you know you are doing the right thing, you just have to follow your heart, stay focused and don't allow the frustration to ruin you. And that’s me. I fear about Kenya and the number of dopers being a lot, but I stand for Beatrice, I stand for myself and doing the right thing at the right time.