Kandie, Cheptegei lead elite cast to Valencia Marathon
Kibiwott Kandie celebrates after winning the 10,000m finals on May 24, 2023 during the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) Athletics Championship at Ulinzi Sports Complex.
What you need to know:
- Cheptegei who at one time in 2015 trained with the two-time Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge at the Global Sports Communications training camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County said the Olympicsmarathon champion inspires him.
- “I’ve been training hard in Kapchorwa and my target is to run a good race because it is my first time and I’m still learning. We’ve been sharing a lot with my mentor Kipchoge as I venture into marathons and that will keep me going to the end,” said Cheptegei.
Valencia Marathon is known for its fast course and as elite athletes head to the race on Sunday in Spain, they are looking forward to an impressive one.
Last year, Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya won the men’s race in two hours, one minute and 53 seconds ahead of Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay (2:03:00) and Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso (2:03:29).
This was Kiptum’s debut in marathon and he went ahead to break the world marathon record clocking 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon in October, lowering the previous record of 2:01:09 held by Eliud Kipchoge. But Kiptum will not compete in the race on Sunday.
Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, who is also the fastest in the field with a personal best time of 2:01:41, Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay (2:03:00), Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso (2:03:29), Ethiopians Molla Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), Sisay Lema (2:03:36), Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) and Kenya’s Titus Kipruto (2:04:54) and debutant Stephen Kiprop, are in the men’s field.
Also in the elite field is Kibiwott Kandie who launched his marathon career in the New York Marathon where he managed to clock 2:13:43 which to him was not impressive and he is competing to redeem himself.
Kandie who trains in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet is also not new to the course after he competed in the Valencia Half Marathon race where he broke the world record timing 57:32 erasing the previous by 30 seconds in 2020.
His record was later lowered by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo who clocked 57:31.
The world will be interested in seeing how Joshua Cheptegei, who is competing in the race for the first time, performs after vigorous training back at his home in Kapchorwa in Uganda.
Cheptegei who at one time in 2015 trained with the two-time Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge at the Global Sports Communications training camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County said the Olympicsmarathon champion inspires him.
“I’ve been training hard in Kapchorwa and my target is to run a good race because it is my first time and I’m still learning. We’ve been sharing a lot with my mentor Kipchoge as I venture into marathons and that will keep me going to the end,” said Cheptegei.
