By JONATHAN KOMEN

Defending champion Wilson Kipsang will take on a classy line-up at London Marathon on Sunday.

Women’s 2012 winner and the current World Marathon Majors series leader Mary Keitany will miss the showpiece awaiting the birth of her second child.

Kipsang, who won the Olympic marathon bronze medal, will have a re-match with Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich, the surprise winner at the 2012 London Olympic Games marathon.

The runner, who was born and bred in the hilly terrains of Kerio Valley, said he was ready for the battle.

“I have prepared well and feel I am in top form. I cannot rule out any one but I will give it my best and even do not know how Kiprotich has trained this season. I want to make the world championships team,” Kipsang told Fever Pitch before he left the country.

The police officer, whose personal best is mere four seconds off the world record and another four second shy of the 2:04.40 London course record, has predicted a hard and fast pace in the contest.

Gerard Van de Veen of Volare Sports, who manages Kipsang and Geoffrey Mutai, said he expected the best from them.

“The only thing I can say is the Kipsang is focused on a good result. I do not know the shape of Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda but I think he will prove that he is indeed the Olympic champion,” Van de Veen told FeverPitch from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, yesterday.

Van de Veen said Kipsang and Mutai are well prepared for the big clash.

Run good race

“I expect that they will run a good race. The field has very strong athletes like Patrick Makau, Emmanuel Mutai. But Mutai (Geoffrey) and Kipsang (Wilson) have proved that they can run well on flat courses but Sunday’s weather conditions and the pace maker’s duties will count much. If the weather conditions will be favourable, then expect better times in London,”

World’s strongest marathon men will feature at the UK’s flagship race, with the top 11 men all with personal bests under two hours and six minutes.

Kenya’s top three 42-kilometre runners – world record holder Patrick Makau (2:03.38), reigning London champion and Olympic bronze medallist Wilson Kipsang (2:03.42) and World Marathon Majors Geoffrey Mutai (2:03.02) – will battle it out.

Three-time London Marathon winner Martin Lel (2:05:15) and former London Marathon winner Emmanuel Mutai (2:04:40) are also in the mix.

Mutai (Geoffrey), who won Berlin Marathon last year, will be making his maiden stab in London, having won ING New York and Chicago marathons in 2011.

Geoffrey, who missed an Olympic slot after he dropped at the Boston Marathon, is keen to prove critics wrong in London.

His manager Van de Veen differs: “Geoffrey does not feel the need to prove critics wrong. He proved that winning Berlin Marathon last year.”