Beijing Marathon champion Ayabei, Paris Marathon winner Jepkesho gear up for Nagoya Marathon

Valary Jemeli paces to win the 21 kilometre women category during the 2nd edition of the Kabarak University Half Marathon on July 14, 2018. [Suleiman Mbatiah/Standard]

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Jemeli Ayabei and 2015 Paris Marathon winner Visiline Jepkesho will line up at Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday.

But Ayabei, who finished second in last year’s contest, targets a top spot. “My preparations have been good and I am in top form. My aim is to win the race,” said Ayabei.

She trains with her husband and pace-maker Kenneth Kiplagat in Iten. She broke the jinx at the Beijing Marathon last year, where Ethiopians had reigned since 1989. She won in 2:21.38, the fourth fastest time in the history of the race, which was two minutes shy of the course record of 2:19.39 set by Sun Yingjie in 2003

Victory at the Nagoya race, Ayabei said, would boost her chances of securing a place in the Kenyan team to the IAAF World Athletics Championships set for Doha, Qatar, in October.

She has competed in a number of races that include Ras al Khaima half marathon last month where she posted 66:07, settling in the fifth place and the inaugural Kapnorok half marathon in Elgeyo Marakwet where she clocked 1:11.20 last December.

“I have learnt from the mistakes I made in Nagoya last year. My main challenger (Meskerem Assefa of Ethiopia) pulled away at a hilly section of the course on the 39 kilometre mark. This year, I am prepared to tackle the challenge,” Ayabei said.

In 2016, she set Barcelona Marathon course record in 2:25:26 – a record previously held by Portugal’s Marisa Barros for three years.

She then set another course record of 2:21.57 at the Volkswagen Prague marathon and line up alongside compatriots Visiline Jepkesho and Monica Jepkoech in the Japanese city.

Jepkesho shattered the course record at the 2018 edition of the Volkswagen Ljubljana Marathon in 2:22:58.

She carries to the start line her 2:25.57 mark set when she won 2016 Paris Marathon and victory of 2:26.47 she posted at the 2014 Lisbon marathon. Jepkesho dropped out of Nagoya Women’s Marathon in 2016.

Jepkoech, the Porto Marathon course record holder in 2:26:58 and who is also the 2016 winner of  Madrid Marathon is another Kenyan woman to watch.

She also won the 2013 Milano City Marathon, but Jepkesho, then a debutant outclassed her in 2014 to earn her place among Kenyan women including Margaret Okayo (2002), Rita Jeptoo (2004), Hellen Kimutai (2005) and Pamela Chepchumba (2007) who have won in Milano. They will battle Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar.