Jeptoo to defend London marathon

BY JONATHAN KOMEN

Prisca Jeptoo has vowed to carry her 2013 form to the Virgin London Marathon set for April 13.

Jeptoo, who produced the world’s second fastest time of 2013 when she won the London Marathon, also chalked up victory at the ING New York City Marathon last November.

She will defend her title against an elite field that includes three athletes who have run faster than two hours 20 minutes, and eight who have finished in under 2:25, plus the three-time Olympic track champion and multi-world record breaker Tirunesh Dibaba, who is making her marathon debut.

But Jeptoo will also contend with Tiki Gelana, the Ethiopian who beat her at the London Olympic Games.

“The battle will not be easy, but I will do my best. I am in good shape and will hopefully carry the top form to London. I want to run faster this time; what I did last year shows that I can improve my time this year. I am targeting a 2:20,” said Jeptoo.

She went on: “I will try to run faster in the second half (21km). I want to be the second Kenyan to win the London Marathon twice.”

“But I should balance the first 21km and the last 21km to run a better time. Had I done this in New York, I would have even broken the course record,” she said.

Jeptoo also hinted that Kenyan women marathoners were keen to attempt the world record held by Britain’s Paula Radcliffe.

“The world record is something that we have talked about with my fellow Kenyans. This year, we want to run the best times,” she said.

Radcliffe–who holds the world record in 2:15.25, two minutes off the second all-time mark –said her world record margin was attainable.

“I worked hard to break the world record. But I think everybody is capable of doing it,” she said in Iten last Saturday.

But Jeptoo, who started her athletics career while a pupil at Chepnoet Primary School in Nandi County, wants to kill two birds with one stone.