Sammy Kitwara keeps sights on Chicago title
What you need to know:
- Kitwara has progressed steadily in the Chicago race, finishing fourth in 2012, third in 2013 and second last year.
- Florence Kiplagat, who is the world half marathon record holder, will spearhead Kenya’s assault in the women’s competition.
- Cherangany Member of Parliament Wesley Korir will also be in the field. He failed to make the podium in Boston last April.
Kenya’s Sammy Kitwara will be aiming to go one better this time round when he runs in the Chicago Marathon Sunday, the penultimate race of the 2015 Majors.
Kitwara has progressed steadily in the Chicago race, finishing fourth in 2012, third in 2013 and second last year.
Florence Kiplagat, who is the world half marathon record holder, will spearhead Kenya’s assault in the women’s competition.
Early this year, Kitwara, who trains in Kaptagat, finished sixth at the London Marathon in 2 hours, 07 minutes and 43 seconds, behind winner Eliud Kipchoge in 02:04:42. He went on win a record fifth World’s Best 10-kilometre race in San Juan, Puerto Rico before clinching the Luanda half marathon title in Angola last month. In last year’s Chicago race, Kitwara (2:04:11) finished second behind Kipchoge (2:04:11), registering a personal best time of 2:04.28 in the process.
With Kipchoge not defending his title after winning in Berlin last month, Kitwara sees an opportunity to strike gold.
Kitwara will be joined by Dickson Chumba, the Kapsabet-based 2014 Tokyo Marathon champion, who this year wound up third in the Japanese capital.
It’s Chumba’s only appearance so far in the 2015 six-race World Marathon Majors series that features Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York events. Chumba was also third in Chicago last year in 2:04:32, coming behind Kipchoge and Kitwara.
KORIR TO FEATURE
Cherangany Member of Parliament Wesley Korir will also be in the field. He failed to make the podium in Boston last April.
The final race of the World Marathon Majors Series will be the New York Marathon on November 1 where former world marathon record-holder Wilson Kipsang, will be defending his crown.
Three Ethiopians will offer the biggest challenge to Kiplagat, the 2011 and 2013 Berlin Marathon champion as she debuts at the course. They are this year’s Tokyo Marathon winner Birhane Dibaba, the 2014 Tokyo Marathon runner up Ndeshaw Negesse and Mulu Seboka.
Kiplagat is thee 2010 World Half Marathon champion, and has a best time over the distance of 1:05:09.
improved her own world half marathon record, returning new times of 1:05:09 in Barcelona in February this year.
From the Berlin Marathon where Eliud Kipchoge triumphed a fortnight ago, Eldoret athletes and fans will once again follow the race through a live stream at another round of Bank of Africa-sponsored viewing sessions at the Shakers Pub in Eldoret town.
Last month, elite marathon runners, including former Paris Marathon champion Peter Some, were joined by upcoming runners and fans at the bank’s Kapsabet viewing party of the Berlin Marathon which also saw the bank, led by its head of marketing Josephine Karanja and Eldoret branch manager Jeremiah Kayago, offer investment advice to the runners.
The race starts at 3.30pm Kenyan time.
Interestingly, there will be no pace-makers in Sunday’s race with the organisers having thrown the charge for the title open by withdrawing the use of the “rabbits.”
“We have always tried to blend pace and competition. But the athletes relied too much on the pace up front, and the chemistry of the competition has become too much about settling in behind the rabbits,” Chicago Marathon race director Carey Pinkowski said in August.
“Without the rabbits, the leaders need a much greater level of concentration. That will allow us to see more tactics, strategy and competition throughout the race,” he added.
