Chronicle EditorITEN. — Ethiopian athletes may have obliterated their opponents in Monday’s Boston marathon, the opener in this season’s World Marathon Majors (WMM), but Kenyans are strong favourites to win this Sunday’s London race.
Kenyan men have won seven out of the last 16 London competitions and Kenyan women six, while Ethiopians have won just twice in each category.
Reigning WMM champions Eliud Kipchoge and Mary Keitany will lead a strong Kenyan contingent that also includes former London marathon winners, Wilson Kipsang and Priscah Jeptoo. With places in the Rio Olympics team up for grabs, the Kenyans are eager to put in their best performances. A new anti-doping law, due to be passed before May 2, is aimed at saving Kenya’s runners from a threatened Olympics ban after a spate of positive drug tests among athletes.
Men’s champion Kipchoge (31) says his goal is Olympic selection not breaking the course record of 2:04:00 set in 2014 by fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang. “I always love the challenge of competing in the big city marathons,” Kipchoge said before departing for the British capital on Monday night. — AFP.
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