Deksisa, Kitur lead Mumbai Marathon fields

Ethiopia’s Solomon Deksisa and defending women’s champion Bornes Kitur lead an impressive field announced today by organisers of the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2018 whose 15th edition is set for January 21.

With the announcement of the elite field, four men who have run under 2:07:00 and another five who have run under 2:09:00, as well as six women who have gone faster than 2:29:00 will be on the start line.

The fastest runner in the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2018 is Deksisa who can boast of a best of 2:06:22, more than two minutes quicker than the course record.

Deksisa, 23, ran that time when finishing second at the 2016 Rotterdam Marathon and after third place in the Toronto Marathon last October, he will be bidding for his first marathon victory in Mumbai.

Ethiopia’s Chele Dechasa and Abraham Girma, and Bahrain’s Shumi Dechasa, the latter running for his country in the last two IAAF World Championships marathons, are the three other men who have run under 2:07:00 in their careers.

However, pundits are pointing towards two other young Ethiopian runners as perhaps the men to spring a surprise on their ostensibly faster rivals.

Yitayal Atnafu, 24, was the 2011 African U20 5000m champion on the track and set a marathon personal best of 2:07:21 when finishing fourth in the Paris Marathon last year. He also finished second in the Houston Marathon earlier last year and, like Deksisa, will be very motivated to get his first marathon victory.

Aychew Bantie, 23, has few international credentials but clocked 2:09:40 in his one and only marathon to date, a high-quality affair in Amsterdam last October, and will have learnt a lot from that experience.

Among the prominent Kenyan runners in the elite field are Joshua Kipkorir and Eliud Barngetuny, who were second and third in last year’s Mumbai Marathon.

The women’s race sees the last two Mumbai Marathon winners return, Ethiopia’s 2016 champion Shuko Genemo and Kitur, her Kenyan successor 12 months ago.

Genemo had a 2017 best of 2:26:06 at the Vienna Marathon and ran under 2:29:00 in her other two marathons last year, including a win in the Ljubljana Marathon in October while Kitur followed up her win in Mumbai by setting a personal best of 2:29:01 when finishing second in the Sydney Marathon in September.

However, the slight favourite on form over the last two years will be the fastest women in the field, Ethiopia’s Amane Gobena.

Now 35, Gobena ran her personal best of 2:21:51 when finishing second in the 2016 Tokyo Marathon and returned to the famous race in the Japanese capital last February where she finished third in 2:23.09.

-More at iaaf.org

Elite Fields:

MEN

Solomon Deksisa, ETH/1994, 2:06:22

Chele Dechasa, ETH/1984, 2:06:33

Shumi Dechasa, BRN/1989, 2:06:43

Abraham Girma, ETH/1986, 2:06:48

Tebalu Zawude, ETH/1987, 2:07:10

Yitayal Atnafu, ETH/1983, 2:07:21

Evans Ruto, KEN/1984, 2:07:49

Philip Kangogo, KEN/1983, 2:08:16

Samuel Mwaniki, KEN/1984, 2:08:56

Aychew Bantie, ETH/1995, 2:09:40

Joshua Kipkorir, KEN/1994, 2:09:50

Eliud Barngetuny, KEN/1987, 2:10:23

Robert Chemonges, UGA/1997, 2:10:32

Vincent Kipchumba, KEN/1990, 2:10:32

Jeffrey Eggleston, USA/1984, 2:10:52

Shumet Akalnaw, ETH/1988, 2:13:18

Husen Muhammedamin, ETH/1993, 2:14:19

WOMEN

Bornes Kitur, KEN/1988, 2:29:01 (defending champion)

Amane Gobena, ETH/1982, 2:21:51

Shuko Genemo, ETH/1995, 2:24:31

Helalia Johannes, NAM/1980, 2:26:09

Monika Stefanowicz, POL/1980, 2:28:26

Kumeshi Sichala, ETH/1995, 2:28:42

Afera Godfay, ETH/1991, 2:28:46

Tigist Girma, ETH/1993, 2:29:05

Kuftu Tahir, ETH/1995, 2:31:27

Tejitu Daba, BRN/1991, 2:31:32

Rose Maru, KEN/1987, 2:33:05

Birke Debele, ETH/1995, 2:40:48