Kenya, Ethiopia renew rivalry in Boston Marathon

Boston, the scene of shock bombings last year, will witness explosive moments of a different kind when the city marathon goes down on Monday.

And Kenyan athletes will be in the thick of things. Boasting the fastest time in men’s elite race, Daniel Kimetto, who registered victory with a personal best course record time of 2hrs,03:45min at the 2012 Chicago Marathon, is the favourite in a men’s field that has several sub 2:04, 2:05 and 2:06.

Two-time champion Rita Jeptoo and two other former winners Caroline Kilel and Sharon Cherop are among the favourites to win the women’s race.

But the 30-year-old Kimetto, who holds the World Record (71:18 minutes) in 25km from his victory in the 2012 BIG 25 Berlin race, faces stiff challenge in men’s race from his compatriots and a strong Ethiopian field.

After smashing the 25km world record, Kimetto ran the fastest time ever by a debutant at the 2012 Berlin Marathon, clocking 2:04:16 to finish one second behind his training partner Geoffrey Mutai.

Kimetto would go on to claim victory at the 2013 Tokyo Marathon with a new course record of 2:06:50 hours before claiming the 2013 Chicago Marathon with another course record of 2:03:45.

The field in Boston includes defending champion Lelisa Desisa (2:04:45), Gebregziabher Gebremariam (2:04:53) and Markos Geneti (2:04:54), all of Ethiopia.

Kimetto too will be looking for support from fellow countrymen to reclaim the title Kenya lost to Desisa last year, after a prolonged period of dominance since Ibrahim Hussein’s first victory for Kenya in 1988. 

Other Kenyans in the race are 2011 Rotterdam and Amsterdam Marathon champion Wilson Chebet (2:05:27), Eric Ndiema (2:06:07), Franklin Chepkwony (2:06:11) and Micah Kogo (2:06:56).

Desisa, who won marathon silver medal at the 2013 Moscow World Championship, had made a strong debut the previous year winning the Dubai Marathon in 2:04:45, the fastest marathon debut before Kimetto’s 2:04:15 time later that year in Berlin.

FINAL STRETCH

Desisa would later underline his abilities three months later, in the 2013 Boston Marathon, which he won in a time of 2:10:22. Kogo, a former 10km world record holder and 10,000m Olympic bronze medalist, made his marathon debut at last year’s Boston Marathon.

The Kenyan had his sights set on a victory heading into the final stretch, but Desisa edged him out to win by just five seconds.
Kogo, 27, is back in Boston looking to improve his second-place finish.

Jeptoo (2:19:57) and Caroline Kilel (2:22:34), who won in 2011 and 2012 champion Sharon Cherop (2:22:28), who is also the 2011 World Championships marathon bronze medalist, will be seeking to deliver Kenya’s 11th victory in the women’s race.

Kilel is the winner of the 2010 and 2013 Frankfurt Marathon while Cherop holds the 2010 Hamburg Marathon title. Other Kenyans in the rich field are Jemima Jelagat Sumgong (2:20:48), Eunice Kirwa (2:21:41) and Flomena Chepchichir Chumba.