Kipchumba, Kitata to renew rivalry in London

Kipchumba, Kitata to renew rivalry in London

With world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge missing out on this year’s London Marathon field, defending champion Shura Kitata of Ethiopia and runners up Vincent Kipchumba of Kenya are set for another epic clash on October 3.

Kipchoge who is fresh from retaining his Olympic title at the just concluded Tokyo Games will skip the London Marathon for the first time since 2017.

The reigning Valencia Marathon champion Evans Chebet who ran the fastest time last year (2:03:00) and Titus Ekiru who won this year’s Milano Marathon race in a course record (2:02:57) are the other Kenyans in the race.

Joining Kitata are compatriots; two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Birhanu Legese, the third-fastest marathoner of all time as well as Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun who both finished on the podium last year.

In the women’s race, world marathon record holder and defending champion Brigid Kosgei will return to the English capital and will compete alongside other Kenyans; the 2019 New York City Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei and Valary Jemeli.

Kosgei who bagged silver in Tokyo will be attempting to win her third successive London Marathon title just eight weeks after the very testing conditions in Sapporo.

“It is a great feeling to be coming back, as London is one of my favourite marathons. Last year’s win was very special, particularly given what the whole world was going through – it was fantastic just to have the London Marathon organised and even more so to be the winner. I hope to arrive again in very good shape and win for the third time,” Kosgei said.

Jepkosgei set a new personal best (PB) of 2:18:40 last December at the Valencia Marathon, where she finished second to new Olympic champion Peres Chepchirchir (KEN).

Also in the elite women’s field are Ethiopians Roza Dereje (ETH), whose PB of 2:18:30 makes her the tenth-fastest female marathoner of all time, and Birhane Dibaba (PB 2:18:35), who won the Tokyo Marathon in 2018 and 2015 and finished second in the same race on three other occasions (2020, 2017 and 2014).

The other women to have run inside 2:20 are Valary Jemeli (2:19:10), Zeineba Yimer (ETH, 2:19:28) and Tigist Girma (ETH, 2:19:50). Also returning is Sinead Diver (AUS), who has had two top 10 Virgin Money London Marathon finishes in the past two years and was tenth at the Tokyo Olympics.

Tags:

Eliud Kipchoge Brigid Kosgei London Marathon Shura Kitata

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