Kenyans eye Cape Town Marathon titles
Sports Cabinet secretary Hassan Wario right hands over Kenya’s flag to athlete Duncan Maiyo as fellow athletes Ezekiel Tarus and Raban Mutai look on September 13, 2017. At left if Sanlam Kenya CEO Mugo Kibati. The athletes will compete in Sunday’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |
What you need to know:
- Ethiopia’s Negewo, Briton Jones return to S. Africa to defend titles they won last year.
- Kaptagat-based Maiyo to lead quest for men’s 42km title in South Africa.
Kaptagat-based runner, Duncan Maiyo is confident Kenyan athletes will reclaim the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon title on Sunday.
Maiyo, who trains in Kaptagat, Uasin Gishu County and is managed by Pace Sports Management, has said teamwork will be key in wrestling back men’s marathon title from Ethiopia’s Asefa Negewo who timed 2hours,08.42min to win last year’s race.
“We have all trained for the race and we are ready to work together to deliver the title. It will be tough but we are up to the challenge,” Maiyo, 32, said on Wednesday in Nairobi when the team was hosted in a ceremony attended by Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and Sanlam Kenya CEO Mugo Kibati.
Shadrack Kemboi timed 2:11:41 to win men’s title in 2015 edition of the race before Negewo took the title last year.
Maiyo, with a personal best of 2:09:25, will line up in Sunday’s race alongside Laban Mutai and Ezekiel Tarus. The women’s race will see Kenya’s Agnes Kiprop team up with Doris Changeywo against last year’s winner, Tish Jones of Great Britain.
Speaking at the ceremony, Wario urged the athletes to shun performance-enhancing substances and to strive to win clean.
“Kenya is not short of athletics talent. We have so much natural talent here. Don’t let other people soil your clean image. Let’s win clean,” Wario, who acknowledged Sanlam Kenya’s role in supporting local athletes, said.
Mugo said this year’s race was special as the event had been given a Gold Label status. “We are committed to sponsoring Kenyan athletes to the race because we believe in nurturing talent as a way of helping Kenya to put Africa on the world map,” Mugo said.
