Ethiopia's Tadese stalks Kenya's Kiprop in hunt for World Half Marathon Championships
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E-mail Xinhua, March 27, 2014
The King of road racing is undisputed.
Eastern Africa region has for long dominated the long distance races prompting many countries to reassess their position as the focus turns to the World Half Marathon in Copenhagen, Denmark on Saturday.
The region has ended the pretensions of mere mortals to the marathon throne and when the world lines up in the Dennis Capital, the outcome will be certain, even before the race starts.
An athlete from Eritrea, Ethiopia or Kenya will carry the day and probable reduce the world half marathon record to rubble.
The obvious question is how many medals will be left there from the 12 -- six individual and six teams -- for other countries other than African (Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea).
Last time in Kavarna, Bulgaria in 2012 only one medal was not picked by an African country, the women team bronze for Japan.
Four years ago in Nanning, China, Kenya ruled the roost as Florence Kiplagat and Wilson Kiprop cruised to victory to bag both the individual and team titles.
Eritrea and Ethiopia filled the gap for the remaining medals and Japan was third again in women race. Will history repeat itself in Copenhagen?
Well, Kiplagat has since moved on to break the world half marathon record in winning in Barcelona last month.
She was named in the Kenya team, but she has her eyes training on the London Marathon on April 13.
However, for Kiprop, the chance to return to the event, has rekindled the success of Nanning and will be keen to reclaim the title from Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese on Saturday.
"It is not by coincidence that I agreed to compete for Kenya in Denmark. It is not everyday that you get the chance to done the Kenyan colours, especially in major championships," said Kiprop.
"I am in great shape now. But we all know that athletics is an individual sport. But when you bring the aspect of teamwork, it helps reduce the burden and helps zero in on the rivals and sieve them out from the greater pack."
"We will embrace teamwork. We will fight as Kenyans and the best man and woman will win. I know Tadese will be there and he has won the event a record five times, but even his presence has not altered my commitment and focus. We can pull surprises. It's only a matter of planning," said Kiprop.
Tadese holds the championship record of 59.35 set in Birmingham, Britain in 2009.
He won four consecutive gold medals in the race from 2006 to 2009 before Wilson Kiprop ousted him Nanning in 2010. The Eritrean bounced back in 2012 with a stunning win in Bulgaria.
But if you thought Kiprop was the last arsenal Kenya had in its armoury in their forward march against Tedese's threat, you are wrong.
Berlin marathon bronze medallist Geoffrey Kipsang, has grown into a strong young man and will be keen to try on the shoes of his elder mentors.
The former World Junior cross country champion was the fastest man in the world over the 21km distance in 2013 with his 58:54 victory in Ras Al Khaimah.
That time was just two seconds outside the course record (58:52) of Tadese. He will be keen to utilise his quick pace to flip Tedese and Ethiopian challenge over the cliff.
Both Kipsang and Kiprop will be the steel around which, the silk of newcomers Kenneth Kiprop Kipkemoi, Robert Kwemoi Chemosin, Simon Cheprot, and reserve athlete Cyprian Kimurgor Kotut will be wrapped against. All the five have run under the 60-minute mark.
"We have an experienced team and I believe good planning will see us carry the day. Nobody is entitled to the championships, and all are beatable. We will do our level best," said Kipsang, who was sixth at the Tokyo Marathon in February.
The women race will have Lucy Kabuu spearheading the rush for gold from Kenya. Covering her up will be Sally Kaptich, Gladys Cherono, the World 10,000m silver medallist, Jemimah Jelagat and Mary Wacera while Mary Kibarus is on the reserve list.
Kabuu, ran the second fastest marathon debut at Dubai in January 2012 finishing in second place in 2:19:34.
She was fifth at the London Marathon in 2012 clocking 2:23:12. And was third in Chicago with a 2:22:41 time. She is a former New Delhi Half-Marathon in 1:07:04, two seconds better than her previous best when she won the Great North Run.
Then there is also the Prague Half Marathon champion Gladys Cherono. It will be her first show in the distance for Kenya and she is not showing any signs of pressure as she focuses on the target, gold in Denmark.
"I want to win. I have put in a lot in training. It is not easy, but I have the plans. I am not happy because I though Olympic Champion in 10,000m Tirunesh Dibaba will not be there. I would have liked us to clash again after she beat me in Moscow World Championships," said Cherono.
But in the whole group it is Kabuu who has the fastest time. Kabuu ran a blistering 66:09 personal best time last year in Ras Al Khaimah.
"I want to do my best. Many people are looking forward to me winning the race. It will not be simple, but I have only lost one half marathon, in the five I have run, in United Arab Emirates against Mary Keitany. I hope to do well in Denmark," said Kabuu.
Alongside the three East African countries, there is also Uganda, who are stalking the giants hopes to tilt the scales. Uganda will have their team led by double Commonwealth Games champion Moses Ndiema Kipsiro.
The men's team also include Uganda's top performer at the recently concluded Africa Cross Country championships, Moses Kibet, the national half marathon champion Daniel Rotich, Geoffrey Kusuro and Isaac Ayeko. Linet Chebet will be the only female on the team to Copenhagen 2014.
Copenhagen 2014 will be Kipsiro's first international half marathon as he starts his strategy of shifting from the track races to the road events.
"We have a full team and we expect a good result from them. Most of them were tested at the Africa Cross Country championships and we believe that they have the required endurance," said UAF secretary Beatrice Ayikoru.
The World Half Marathon will be held in Scandinavia for just the second time ever, 20 years after Oslo hosted it.
No story on the World Half Marathon Championships would be complete without a mention of five-time winner Tadese.
The Eritrean is the most decorated athlete in the history of the championships, having won 12 medals, five of them gold.
On the all-time medals table for the event, if Tadese were entered as a separate nation, he'd ranked fourth behind only Kenya, Ethiopia and Romania.
Tadese will be in Copenhagen next weekend, looking for an unprecedented sixth gold medal in what will be a record ninth appearance at the championships.
If he makes it on to the podium, he would become the oldest ever men's individual medallist at the World Half Marathon Championships.
Seven teams -- Spain, Ethiopia, France, Japan, Kenya, Romania and the United States -- will continue their record in Copenhagen as "ever presents" at the World Half Marathon Championships, having contested every edition of the event since the inaugural championships in 1992.
No fewer than 150 teams have taken part across the past 19 editions of the World Half Marathon Championships. Saudi Arabia will this year be making their first appearance at the event, with two athletes entered in the men's race.
Denmark's best ever individual finish was Jan Ikov's 10th place in the men's race in 1993, while their best team placing was 12th in 2012.
At 49 years of age, Iceland's Martha Ernsdottir is set to become the oldest ever competitor at the World Half Marathon Championships.
But she isn't the only one, as there is 42-year-old compatriot Helen Olafsdottir in the mix. Endite
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