Kenyans to battle for honours in Cape Town

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Doris Changeiywo, the 2010 Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medallist, will lead Kenyan charges at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in South Africa on Sunday next week.

The 33-year-old Changeiywo returns to the South African city where she settled for bronze in the 2011 Africa Cross Country Championships (eight kilometres).

She will marshal forces with Agnes Kiprop, who has the fastest time of 2:23.54 set in 2011 Frankfurt Marathon in 2:23.54, in Africa’s only IAAF Gold Label marathon race.

But defending champions in Britain’s Tish Jones and Ethiopia’s Asefa Mengistu Negewo will be back for another shot at their titles.

Kenyans Laban Mutai and Duncan Maiyo will lead the men’s onslaught as they take on the scenic course in South Africa’s coastal city.

Chengeiywo, who comes from Chebyuk in Mt Elgon, said: “I have prepared for the race. I hope to perform well.

I have recovered well from hip injury and I think the competition serves as a good ground for me to test my fitness.”

Since winning Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon, Changeiywo hopes to maintain rhythm. “The injury re-occurred late last year and hope for the best.”

The women’s line up will be packed with international stars including Irvette Van Zyl, who is the fastest South African in the field with a personal best of 2:31.39.

In the 2016 showdown, Negewo broke the standard marathon record, running the fastest marathon ever on South African soil winning in 2:08.41.

David Tsebe’s 2:09.50 win at the 1990 South African Marathon Championships in Port Elizabeth stood for 26 years as the fastest marathon ever run in South Africa on a certified course, until last year.