Kimetto, Mosop and Jeptoo target victory in the Chicago marathon

Nairobi: Tokyo marathon champion Dennis Kipruto Kimetto and Moses Mosop will be looking to carve out their niche at the Chicago Marathon on October 13.

Kimetto, who will be running his third marathon, after his debut in Berlin last year - where he was second behind compatriot and training mate Geoffrey Mutai - and Tokyo in January, where he won, will be seeking to show that his win was no fluke.

The 28-year-old will however have to contend with compatriots Moses Mosop and Emmanuel Mutai over the 42km distance.

“I am doing my preparations and have no worry about the opposition in Chicago. Running a marathon of Chicago’s calibre, you must expect such top rivals. It is what confirms one’s status as a champ. I will put in my best,” Kimetto said Friday in Eldoret.

Kimetto is the world record holder over the 25km road distance, having won the Berlin race in 71:18 minutes. His time of 71:18 minutes at that race knocked a sizable margin off Sammy Kosgei’s record of 71.50.

He went on to run his first marathon in Berlin where he clocked 2:04:16, one second behind Mutai, to set the fifth fastest time ever run at that point.

However, he emerged from under his mentors shadows when he stepped on the Tokyo course and went on to win in a new course record time of 2:06:50.

But that will not count as he comes up against his compatriots in Chicago, where they will be battling for the $100,000 prize.

Emmanuel Mutai (not Geoffrey Mutai) is a former world marathon silver medalist and has won the London marathon before.

There will also be a strong Ethiopian line-up led by Ayele Abshero.

Mosop leads the way as the second-fastest marathoner of all time with a personal best of 2:03:06, followed by Kimetto in sixth place with a personal best time of 2:04:16. Abshero is seventh with a time of 2:04:23 and Mutai is last among the elite squad credited with a time of 2:04:40.

“Winning the 2011 Chicago Marathon was one of the proudest moments of my career and I look forward to returning to a course and a city that I enjoyed so much,” said Mosop.

“I lost my course record last year to Kebede and I was disappointed that I was not there to defend it. I know the competition will be great once again this year.”

Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede holds the course record for the Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:04.38 seconds, when he won last year improving on the 2011 record of Mosop at 2:05.39.

Kebede’s win was the first for Ethiopia to end Kenya’s run of nine consecutive wins. That is inspiration enough for Mosop to try and recapture his record.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Atsede Baysa and Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo will face one another for the first time since their dramatic sprint finish at the Chicago Marathon last year.

Baysa completed an Ethiopian double by winning the women’s race in a thrilling sprint finish with Jeptoo. Baysa crossed the line just inches ahead of Jeptoo winning in an official time of 2:22.03, one second ahead of Jeptoo.

Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu was fourth. Both Jeptoo and Baysa will seek to reaffirm their prowess this time round.

Others are Jemima Sumgong, the 2013 Rotterdam Marathon champion (2:23:27), Russia’s Maria Konovalova (2:23:50), Japan’s Yukiko Akaba (2:24:09) and the Ethiopian dup of Abebech Afework (2:23:59) and Ehitu Kiros Reda (2:23:38).

— Xinhua