April 17 (Reuters) - Sharon Lokedi will attempt to become back-to-back Boston Marathon champion on Monday, with the Kenyan runner insisting the pressure of defending her title changes nothing about how she approaches the race.
The Kenyan-born runner, who shattered the women's course record at last year's Boston Marathon with a time of 2:17:22, taking two minutes and 37 seconds off the course record set in 2014 by Buzunesh Deba, spoke at a brand event on Friday.
"Every time you do a marathon, you think it's going to get easier, but it never really does," Lokedi said.
Asked about the pressure of defending her title, the 2022 New York Marathon winner was measured. "It's always a different race. It's always a different group of women, a different type of competition. So I just treat it like it's a new race."
On the mental side, she said visualization has become a key tool. "I've trained well, I've done all I could, and I'm excited. It's an open race — you never know — but I put myself there and hope for the best."
For those lining up alongside her on Monday, the 32-year-old runner offered straightforward counsel on race strategy: "Just start controlled, keep a controlled pace," and as for the nerves that build in the days before the gun fires, Lokedi reframed them simply. "It's a good feeling because it tells you you're ready."
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City. Additional reporting Ed WhiteEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
