Mungara leads co. for last Kenyan fetch at GC2018

Kenya will look to finish the Commonwealth Games medal hunt with a golden flourish when her marathon stars take to the streets of Gold Coast on Sunday.

So far, Kenya is ranked 13th on the medal standings with 17 medals – four gold, seven silver and six bronze – and will be keen to add to their tally before curtains fall on the competition that attracted more than 4,500 athletes.

Kenneth Mungara is a familiar sight on this east coast of Queensland, Australia and will undoubtedly be the headline act in the men’s race.

The two-time Gold Coast Airport Marathon champion has a 2:08:01 Personal Best (PB); bettered by only one man in the field and will be seeking his first major championships title in his fourth visit to Gold Coast.

Mungara who holds a masters world record in 40-44 age group recently won the Stanchart Hong Kong Marathon in 2:13.39 to hush his critics back home.

“I have prepared myself well. I do hope that we perform well in this marathon. My victory in Hong Kong was to assure Kenyans that I can perform well because several people had doubts in me. I hope that I will have a podium finish. As a team we have come for one thing and one thing alone and that is gold,” the 44-year-old said.

Mungara will pair up with compatriot Nicholas Kamakya who won the 2011 Gold Coast Airport Marathon and set a course record of 2:10.01.

Kamakya who leads the field with a 2:06:34 PB is visiting the city for a third time said that he had no injury worries.

“I had an injury since last year’s Berlin Marathon. I had to stop after 8 Km due to an ankle injury. But it has been treated and cured. I’m ready to compete tomorrow,” said Kamakya who holds a personal best of 2:06.34.

The two will team up with Julius Karinga who will be the third Kenyan on the course with a personal best of 2:08.01 on Sunday 1:15 am.

The women’s race will start about an hour before the men’s race at 20 past midnight at Southport Broad Water Pkld as Sheilah Jerotich team’s up with Shelmith Nyawira and Hellen Musyoka to retain the 2014 title won by Flomena Cheyech Daniel.

“What motivated us to work hard is how the news of the team was received. People have zero faith in us but we did not let that discourage us from concentrating in our training. We have faith that after the end of the race people will be singing a new song,” said Jerotich.

Jerotich, who has a personal best of 2:27.34, belives that she will be able to deliver another medal for her country.

So far Kenya has a total of 17 medals with four gold, seven silver and six bronze medals.