Erick Mose set to tackle the Los Angeles Marathon today

BY GEORGE ORIDO - LOS ANGELES MARATHON

A week after Kenyan golden Hollywood star, Lupita Nyong’o, made history as the first black African to win an Oscar, another Kenyan Erick Mose is laying ground for a win at the Los Angeles Marathon today.

Mose will be putting his best foot forward to wrestle the title from last year’s gender-challenged winner Aleksandra Duliba from Belarus.

The Belarusian had finished ahead of Mose and took away a total of USD50,000, but the Kenyan won the men’s race after outkicking compatriot Julius Keter in a time of 20:09:43.

Mose has been training in Lupita’s birthplace, Mexico, and is upbeat in winning both the men’s race and the gender-challenged athlete this year.

While Lupita is raised and schooled in Kenya since she was one, her parents lived in Mexico at the time of her birth in 1983.

“The climate in Toluca is similar to that in Kenya and I can eat almost the same kind of food such as beans and rice,” said an upbeat Mose whose home base in Kenya in Nakuru.

“This year, if everything goes on well, we need to push hard and see if we can catch up with the women,” said Mose in Los Angeles.

In 2011, Mose had won the Carlifonia International Marathon in Sacramento and other marathons in Mexico before the Los Angeles win last year.

The ASICS Los Angeles Marathon prize money for both men and women race stand at USD 25,000 apiece.

But there is another bonus of USD 50,000 for any man or woman who crosses the tape first.

Unlike other marathons where men and women run differently and in separate times, Los Angeles marathon has women start and men follow in about 18 minutes on the same track. Given that men have recorded faster records, chances are that a man starting late can still manage to cross the tape before the female athlete who had started well before him.

Thus anyone taking part in the festival compete for two titles at the same time. One for men or women, and another for being the first to cross the tape.

Last year, women started 18 minutes and 35 seconds ahead of men.

Announcing the schedule for this year’s marathon, Heather Crug of Coyne PR said the race will begin from the Los Angeles stadium and close at the Pacific beach.

The 42km race will start at 7.10 am and will see over 25,000 participate including elite runners Aaron Braun, Benjamin Kiptoo, and Gabe Proctor, Genet Getanteh, Amane Gobena and Lauren Kleppin.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels offered the annual ceremony for the Blessing of the Running Shoes and Participants yesterday for those running in this year’s Asics LA Marathon.

Security will be tight and access to starting and finishing lines will be restricted.

This is as a result of the 2013 bombing incident at the Boston City Marathon.

“Safety and security is our number one priority,” said the CEO of Asics LA Marathon, Tracey Russel.