‘I am the best in the line-up’: Kiplagat issues race warning

Florence Kiplagat cannot hide her burning desire to regain the Chicago Marathon title she lost last year when the Majors race is held on Sunday.

“I want to win this year and I will not be looking at those who will be at the race but at my own running. I believe I’m the best in the line-up and I will be going for the top prize,” said Kiplagat, the 2016 Chicago Marathon champion.

The former world half marathon record-holder believes that she is in her best possible state after recovering from an injury and it will be very difficult for anyone to beat her.

Speaking in Eldoret this week before departing for America, Kiplagat, who pulled out of the Chicago race last year with injury, said that her plan was to run tactically for a win and not eye a personal best time until next year.

“I don’t have a pacemaker so looking for a fast time is not realistic. Perhaps next year I will try to lower my best time with good planning,” said the Iten-based athlete who has been training in Moiben, Uasin Gishu and Nangili in Kakamega County.

Her personal best time is 2hr 19min 44sec set in Berlin in 2011.

Kiplagat's achievements speak for themselves. She finished second in the 2014 London Marathon before winning back-to-back in Chicago in 2015 and 2016.

Coincidentally, Kiplagat, 31, who is also the 2010 World Half Marathon champion, will be racing on Sunday when her daughter Faith Cherono, a Standard Eight pupil at Emining Primary School will be attending a special prayers session ahead of her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations.

“If I win the race I will dedicate it to her and pray she performs well,” said Kiplagat.

Compatriot Brigid Kosgei, who is the Honolulu Marathon champion, will be looking to clinch her first Majors marathon title in four attempts.

Kosgei has been training in Kapsait in West Pokot County. She declared she had recovered from a small injury she picked up during the Bogota Half Marathon.

The athlete told Nation Sport that she used the Great North Run race, where she came in second behind Vivian Cheruiyot, to fine tune for Chicago.

“I was happy because my body responded well. I have been able to smooth out on rough parts in my running and can say I am ready for the race on Sunday,” she said. Kosgei finished second last year.

She participated in three marathons last year starting with Boston where she finished eighth, Chicago (second) and Honolulu that she won.

She started this season with a seventh-place finish in Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February before coming in second in London in April.

“My target also is to win the race, though I know it will be tough,” remarked the athlete.