Wakiihuri backs Kipchoge to trounce Bekele in London

Kenyan long-distance runner Douglas Wakiihuri believes world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge will continue his London dominance on Sunday when he will face Ethiopian rival Kenenisa Bekele.

Dubbed the mother of all marathons Kipchoge goes shoulder to shoulder with Bekele at the English capital with both having a difference of just two seconds between their personal bests.

“It’s a big race with two of the best marathoners in the world and from what I know Kipchoge has been preparing well for the race despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 but am hopeful Kenya will dominate both the men and women race.

“Two seconds in a marathon is no joke and when I hear people talking about their difference in Berlin I just laugh. Bekele is a professional athlete and he knows the hard work it takes to break the record and am sure that will even inspire Eliud more,” Wakiihuri said.

Wakiihuri, who became the first Kenyan athlete to win a London Marathon title in 1989, says he expects a tough encounter that could be decided by tactics.

“Kipchoge is a bit lighter compared to Bekele the age factor may not matter so much but when it comes to energy efficiency weight matters so much and that will be a big advantage to Eliud,” the legendary athlete said.

Asked if there are any records expected to be broken on Sunday these is what he said; “given a course where you have many turns that simply mean you are going to slow down in every turn and thus reduce the speed that one can run compared to long stretches.

“I would have loved to see the world record come down in a normal setting but because of the Covid 19 challenges I want to congratulate the organizers for making this happen.”