Why late bloomer Cherono can't wait to compete in Valencia
Lawrence Cherono, at Rosa Associati, High Performance Athletics Training Camp in Kaptagat, Elgeyo-Marakwet County on October 15, 2018.
What you need to know:
- Boston Marathon that was to be held in April was cancelled before Chicago Marathon also suffered the same fate leaving the 32-year-old Cherono in the cold.
- The Valencia Marathon organisers have selected a strong team that comprises of Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese (2:02:48) - who is the third fastest man in the distance behind Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia’ Kenenisa Bekele.
- Kipchoge and Bekele, who are only separated by two seconds, go head-to-head in the London Marathon on Sunday.
Boston Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono can afford a smile after he was named among the elite athletes for the Valencia Marathon set for December 6.
Cherono agonisingly watched as two races he was looking forward to competing in were cancelled before the 2020 Olympics Games were also postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chicago Marathon champion had been named in Team Kenya's marathon squad for the Summer Games.
Boston Marathon that was to be held in April was cancelled before Chicago Marathon also suffered the same fate leaving the 32-year-old Cherono in the cold.
“It has been a long wait for me and I’m happy because finally there is light at the end of the tunnel. Waiting for a whole year to compete is torture but we can’t blame anyone because this was due to the virus,” the Rosa Associati Management athlete said.
Cherono, who shifted his training base to Iten from Kaptagat in Elgeyo Marakwet after the camp was closed in compliance with the Kenyan government's coronavirus guidelines, said that he has been training in anticipation for a chance to compete before the year ends.
“After the two races were cancelled, I was disappointed but went on with my training. Today, I can smile because I have been named as one of the participants in Valencia Marathon,” he said.
Strong team
The Valencia Marathon organisers have selected a strong team that comprises of Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese (2:02:48) - who is the third fastest man in the distance behind Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia’ Kenenisa Bekele.
Kipchoge and Bekele, who are only separated by two seconds, go head-to-head in the London Marathon on Sunday.
Also in the list is the defending champion Kinde Atanaw (2:03:51), Turkey’s Kaan Kigen (2:04:16) and Lelisa Desisa (2:04:45) who is also the world marathon champion.
“If you look at the starting list, the Ethiopians have very good times and that tells you the race will be tough. I still have two months to prepare for the race and I’m looking forward to a good race,” added Cherono.
In the women category, Kenya’s New York Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei will be joined by compatriots World Half Marathon record holder (women only) Peres Jepchirchir, Joan Chelimo and debutante Fancy Chemutai.
Jepkosgei, who was in the initial list of elite athletes for the London Marathon in April, said that she was happy that she will be competing again after a long break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I have been training well and I’m going to finalise my preparations in the next two months,” said Jepkosgei.
Jepchirchir said that she is happy her season has kicked off well after exploits in the Prague Half Marathon early this month where she managed to run her personal best 1:05:34 which is also a world record time.
