Kenya Police’s 10,000m runner Josphat Bett (right) celebrates with teammate Peter Kirui after emerging winner during a past race. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Defending champion Peter Kirui faces a stiff challenge from compatriots Geoffrey Mutai and Leonard Komon in his bid to retain his Prague Half Marathon title on March 28.
Two times world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat and Lucy Kabuu are also planning a major assault on the women’s title as they seek to uphold the Kenyan reign for the seventh consecutive year.
Kirui, the 2012 New York City Half Marathon champion, set his personal best of 59:22 last year en route to clinching the title in Prague.
He was the pacemaker when Patrick Makau broke the world record in 2:03:38 at the 2011 Berlin Marathon where Kirui also set a world record at the 30km of 1:27:38.
Kirui came second in a personal best of 2:06:31 at the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon where Wilson Kipsang won.
It will be interesting to see Mutai, who become the first athlete to break the broke 59 minutes barrier for the half marathon at the 2013 RAK Half Marathon, will turn out for the race.
EXPERIENCED RUNNERS
Mutai has the 2009 Valencia, 2010 New Delhi, 2010 Ras Al Khaimah, 2011 Bogota and 2014 New York City half marathon titles under his beast although his victory of 58:58 minutes at RAK remains third best over the distance.
Mutai holds New York City Marathon course record of 2:05:05 from 2011, having also defended the title in 2013. He won the 2012 Berlin Marathon before coming home sixth in the 2014 London and New York City marathons.
Komon, the 2009 World Cross Country silver medallist, holds two world records in 10km (26:44 minutes) and 15km (41:13 minutes) from 2009. He accomplished the feat when he won the Singelloop 15km race in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
WMM CHAMPION
Edna Kiplagat, who is waiting to be crown the 2013/2014 World Marathon Majors champion, won the 2014 London Marathon after finishing second in 2013 and 2012. She won the world marathon title in 2011 Daegu before defending it 2013 Moscow. She will be going for a hat trick in 2015 Beijing.
Kabuu’s latest race was on January 23 when she finished third at Dubai Marathon in 2:2021 behind Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia) 2:20:02 and Gladys Cherono (Kenya) 2:20:03.
Two years ago, Kabuu won the Ras Al Khaimah event in 1:06:09. Among Kabuu’s opponents in the Czech capital will be Edna Kiplagat.
In 2014, Joyce Chepkirui brought that time down to 1:06:19, the fifth fastest time ever run for the distance.
Two more runners with best times under 68 minutes will be on the start line in Prague, Kenya’s Lineth Chepkurui (1:07:47) and Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa (1:07:49).
“I believe we’ve assembled a very strong field,” said Jana Moberly, who is responsible for putting together the elite field in Prague.
“At present we have seven runners with personal bests under one hour on the start list and nine women who have run faster than 70 minutes. But it’s very likely that we’ll have one or two additions,” explained Moberly.
