Kimetto, Jeptoo to lead classy line up in Monday’s Boston Marathon

By JONATHAN KOMEN

Rita Jeptoo celebrates as she crosses the finish line at Chicago Marathon. [PHOTO: COURTESY]

 Reigning marathon champions Dennis Kimetto (Chicago Marathon) and Rita Jeptoo (Boston Marathon) will lead a classy line up at the 118th Boston Marathon run on Monday.

The most exciting one, however, will be 2012 winner Sharon Cherop and her husband, Mathew Kosgei, the Poznan Marathon winner, who will be the running couple to watch in the world’s oldest marathon.

Kimetto, 30, who stunned the world with a brilliant 2:03.45 in Chicago Marathon, is keen to emulate his mentor Geoffrey Mutai by winning in Boston in what would glide him to World Marathon Majors (WMM) series leaderboard.

Kimetto, who trains at Kapng’etuny Athletics Club in Uasin Gishu County, now trails Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede and newly-crowned London Marathon winner Wilson Kipsang, who boasts 55 and 51 points respectively.

And should he win, Kimetto will certainly top the WMM series rankings with 75 points.

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He has Ethiopia’s defending champion Lelisa Desisa (2:04.45), who lies fourth in WMM standings with 40 points, to content with.

Frankline Chepkwony (2:06.11 in Eindhoven in 2012), another understudy of Geoffrey Mutai, will be in contention.

Moses Mosop, who returns to Boston Marathon after finishing second in 2:03.06 to course record holder Geoffrey Mutai in 2011, will be back to prove critics wrong.

Wilson Chebet, better known as ‘Mr Amsterdam’ for his brilliant shows while competing in Dutch marathons, will carry his 2:05.27 best mark to the line up.

Defending champ Rita Jeptoo, who lost  the WMM series prize to Prisca Jeptoo in 2013/2014, is tipped as the favourite.

Rita, who is keen on a share of the Sh86 million jackpot WMM prize, ties in second place with Prisca with 50 points behind Edna Kiplagat’s 65 points.

 Sharon Cherop is seventh with 25 points and is set to improve her standings in Boston.

 Sumgong (2:20.48) and Hailu (2:21.09) are also longing to change pecking order and now lie in tenth place with 15 points apiece.

Eunice Kirwa, 2011 winner Caroline Kilel and Flomena Chepchirchir Chumba are others to watch. Philes Ongori, who has 2:24.20 personal best set in Rotterdam in 2011, is also itching for glory.

Cherop, who will lead her husband Bowen to his first stint in Boston, was optimistic of a good show.