Big battle on the streets of London
From left: Eliud Kipchoge, Dennis Kimetto, Stanley Biwott and Wilson Kipsang pose for photographers near Tower Bridge in central London on April 20, 2016 during a photo call ahead of the London Marathon. The 2016 London Marathon is set to take place on April 24, 2016. PHOTO | NIKLAS HALLE'N |
What you need to know:
- Race narrows down to contest between Kenyans and Ethiopians as some of greatest marathoners of all time go head-to-head
- Kipchoge has fired an early warning shot at his rivals ahead of the race which is expected to be a closely contested affair at the English capital from 11.12am on Sunday.
There will be no love lost when Eliud Kipchoge puts his London Marathon title on the line against a stellar field on Sunday as Kenya and Ethiopia athletes renew rivalry.
Kipchoge has fired an early warning shot at his rivals ahead of the race which is expected to be a closely contested affair at the English capital from 11.12am on Sunday.
“I am ready to defend my title,” said Kipchoge ahead of the race, which is the second event of the World Marathon Majors.
“I have been consistent in my training as you know marathon is a continuous cycle and to me, it has no specific training and time.”
“I face one of the strongest fields but I hope to prevail,” added Kipchoge, who won London Marathon in 2 hours, 04 minutes and 42 second in April last year before going on to win Berlin Marathon five months later in a personal best 2:04:00.
It will be battle royale as Kipchoge tries to retain his title against a stellar field that has 2014 champion Wilson Kipsang, World marathon record-holder Dennis Kimetto and New York City Marathon champion Stanley Biwott, who finished second at the 2014 London Marathon.
The Kenyans have a tough battle at hand with World marathon champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie from Eritrea and Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele also in contention.
The race will be crucial for the Kenyan athletes since it is after the event that Athletics Kenya will pick its marathon teams for the Rio Olympic Games due in August.
The women’s field also has a galaxy of stars with 2011 and 2012 champion Mary Keitany, 2013 winner Prisca Jeptoo and Florence Kiplagat, who won the 2014 edition, all set to battle for the title.
Also in the women’s act are two-time World champion Edna Kiplagat and 2013 Rotterdam Marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong. The Kenyans are out to dethrone Ethiopian Tigist Tufa off the crown she won last year.
Kipchoge edged out two-time champion Kipsang by just five seconds, clocking 2:04:42 in a thrilling sprint finish to win the 35th edition last year. Kimetto and Biwott finished third and fourth in 2:05:50 and 2:06:41 respectively.
Kipchoge’s winning time was just outside Kipsang’s course record of 2:04:29 set in 2014. The 2003 world 5,000m champion Kipchoge went on to win the Berlin Marathon last September in a personal best of 2:04:00.
He is now sixth on the world all-time list for the distance behind Kimetto’s historic best of 2:02:57 and Kipsang’s former world record of 2:03:23.
“It was a fantastic victory against one of the greatest fields ever assembled in marathon,” said Kipchoge.
Kimetto also returns to London in 2016 hoping to improve on his third place last year.
Biwott is running in London for the fourth time after finishing fourth last year, second in 2014 and eighth in 2013. His victory in New York late last year should give him confidence.
Kipchoge’s superb record of five wins and one second place from six marathon starts since 2013 makes him the favourite. But the elite men’s field has the top five finishers from 2015, five men who have run the 26.2-mile distance faster than 2:05:00, and 16 who have finished quicker than 2:10:00.
If he is to make it to Rio, it will be the first time for Kipchoge to represent Kenya in a championship race since winning silver in 5,000m at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth. Interestingly, it will be the first time he is facing Bekele since their pulsating clash at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Biwott, Kimetto and Kipsang are likely to be the reigning champion’s main challengers. Kimetto and Kipsang will be looking to make amends after dropping out of the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
KEITANY, TUFA BATTLE
The 33-year-old Bekele moved up to take on the ultimate distance challenge in 2014 when he won the Paris Marathon in 2:05:04 before finishing fourth in Chicago that October. He opted out of last year’s London race due to a persistent injury.
Tufa will face Keitany – who she beat to win the coveted crown in 2015 - and Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba, who won the world marathon title in Beijing last year.
Last year, Tufa won in 2:23:22 as Keitany clocked 2:23:40. Florence Kiplagat came in fifth in 2:24:15.
