Mary Keitany backs compatriots to break world record
PHOTO | AFP Edna Kiplagat of Kenya (right) who won second place, Mary Keitany of Kenya (centre) who won first place, and Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya (left) who won third place, celebrate after crossing the finish line of the 2012 London Marathon on April 22, 2012.
What you need to know:
- Keitany is confident that defending champion Priscah Jeptoo, new World Half Marathon record holder Florence Kiplagat (1:05:12) and two times World champion Edna Kiplagat can shutter the World record.
- Jeptoo won the 2013 London Marathon in a personal best time of 2:20:15, beating the Olympic champion Tiki Gelana, who fell midway before winning the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:25:07 to claim the World Marathon Majors jackpot of Sh43m.
National marathon record holder Mary Keitany has said that the Kenyan female marathoners are likely break the world record if they wok together during the London Marathon on April 12.
Keitany, who holds a personal best of 2:18:37, is confident that defending champion Priscah Jeptoo, new World Half Marathon record holder Florence Kiplagat (1:05:12) and two times World champion Edna Kiplagat can shutter the World record.
“They have some of the best times in the world and are currently on form,” said Keitany, who has been training for the last three months after a maternity leave. “Besides that it will require good weather and pacesetters for one of them to achieve the feat.”
RADCLIFFE HOLDS WR
It’s Briton Paula Radcliffe who broke Catherine Ndereba’s world record time of 2:18:47 (2001 Chicago) after clocking 2:17:18 at the 2002 Chicago Marathon before bettering it to 2:15:25 at the 2003 London Marathon.
Even though the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has ratified both times but analysts say that the 2:17:18 should be the official World record after Radcliffe did it alone unlike in the 2:15:25 where she used male pacesetters.
Jeptoo won the 2013 London Marathon in a personal best time of 2:20:15, beating the Olympic champion Tiki Gelana, who fell midway before winning the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:25:07 to claim the World Marathon Majors jackpot of Sh43m.
Florence Kiplagat broke World Half Marathon record by a significant margin at the Barcelona Half Marathon in February this year, running 1:05:12, beating Keitany's old mark by 38 seconds. She also set a new world record for the 20 km distance as well with a time of 1:01:56.
However, Kiplagat’s made her debut at the 2011 Berlin Marathon where she triumphed in a personal best of 2:19:44, the third fastest run by a woman that year.
It’s at the 2012 London Marathon that Edna Kiplagat finished runner-up to Keitany but in a personal best of 2:19:50. She would make history last year when she became the first woman to retain the world marathon title when she earned the first gold medal on the opening day of the 2013 Moscow World Championships.
