By Mutwiri Mutuota

Kenyans have dominated the Amref Salzburg Marathon for the past six years and the quartet who will run at this year’s event on May 3 promised to maintain the grip.

Speaking at a farewell breakfast hosted by the Austrian ambassador to Kenya, Roland Hauser, in their honour yesterday, Nahashon Gitonga, Kennedy Matolo, Callen Areba and Lucy Karimi exuded confidence ahead of the IAAF Road Race Meeting. They will depart for Austria on April 27.

Marathon team members from left Kennedy Matolo, Nahason Gitonga, Lucy Karimi and Callen Areba show a peace sign during the Amref Salzburg Marathon send-off breakfast at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, Thursday. [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

"I know there will be tough guys there, but my aim is to post a good time so that I can attract a good manager," Matolo, 32, who will compete in the men’s 42km race (marathon PB 2:13) said.

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He finished third in the 2005 Luxemborg Marathon and eighth in last year’s Pune Marathon in India where he ran his career high.

"For now, I cannot say much, but I have prepared to compete well," Areba, 30, winner of Green Bay Marathon in the USA (2008) and Longonot Marathon in South Africa (2006) said.

Karimi, the youngest in the team at 21 and will run in the half-marathon, hopes the Salzburg event will be the perfect launch pad to a blissful career.

"I have belief I will post a good time and that would put me in perfect position to challenge for victory. I understand it’s a relatively smooth course with few hills and it would be fit to run a quick time. I aim at doing my best," Karimi said.

Gitonga’s mission was explicit. "I want to run under 2:10 to improve prospects of being invited to top marathon races," the 33 year-old explained.

In his remarks, Hauser said his mission was partnering with Amref to facilitate the identification of budding talent in the country with a view to expose them through the Salzburg event.

Amref official, Mette Kjaer disclosed that an Ethiopian runner had been included in the travelling party for the first time.

At the same function, Commissioner for Sports, Gordon Oluoch and Athletics Kenya General Secretary, David Okeyo, urged Amref to revive their 10k event that was staged in Nairobi.

The quartet, all based in Ngong will travel under the charge of coach and former Olympic and twice World Championship silver medallist, Patrick Sang.